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56-450: The airport is about 31 miles south of Gainesville Regional Airport . The airport opened in the early 1960s, replacing the previous Taylor Field just southwest of Ocala. Its 5000-ft runway was served by Eastern Airlines , with one Convair 440 flight a day with a routing of Jacksonville (JAX) - Gainesville (GNV) - Ocala (OCF) - Vero Beach (VRB) - Miami (MIA) and return. Eastern later operated Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop service with

112-592: A "100 Days" advertising campaign, in which it promised to "become a little bit better every day". The ads were conceived by advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather in New York, and started being broadcast on June 17, 1990 during the prime-time hours in 33 markets around the United States. The ads featured Martin Shugrue, the airline's court-appointed trustee. While the campaign helped the company increase by 73%

168-406: A 28% on-time rate The control tower operates from 6:45a to 10:30p daily. After the passing of Gainesville native Tom Petty on October 2, 2017, a change.org petition was started to have the airport renamed "Tom Petty - Gainesville Regional Airport". In 2021 Gainesville Regional Airport added a 15,200 square-foot expansion onto their terminal. The new expansion adds a mother lactation room,

224-630: A Christmas album containing the track "I Think You Might Like It", whose music video features the FBO at the airport. Travolta lives nearby, at the Jumbolair fly-in community , which also makes an appearance in the video. Gainesville Regional Airport Gainesville Regional Airport ( IATA : GNV , ICAO : KGNV , FAA LID : GNV ) is a public airport three miles northeast of Gainesville , in Alachua County, Florida , United States. It

280-670: A crippling strike in 1989, Eastern ran out of money and was liquidated in 1991. American Airlines obtained many of Eastern's routes from Miami International Airport to Latin America and the Caribbean . Delta Air Lines , Eastern's main competitor at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , acquired many of Eastern's Lockheed L-1011 TriStar aircraft. USAir acquired 11 of Eastern's 25 Boeing 757-225 aircraft. Eastern pioneered hourly air shuttle services between New York City , Washington, D.C. , and Boston in 1961 as

336-533: A marketing campaign stressing its quality of service and its rank of highly experienced pilots. Unable to keep up, Borman agreed to the sale of the airline in 1986 to Texas Air , led by Frank Lorenzo , which had already purchased Continental Airlines and lost a bidding war for TWA to Carl Icahn . In February 1987, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a $ 9.5 million fine against Eastern Air Lines for safety violations, which

392-513: A near monopoly in air travel between New York and Florida from the 1930s until the 1950s and dominated this market for decades afterward. During airline deregulation in the late 1970s and early 1980s, labor disputes and high debt loads strained the company under the leadership of former astronaut Frank Borman . Frank Lorenzo acquired Eastern in 1985 and moved many of its assets to his other airlines, including Continental Airlines and Texas Air Corporation . After continued labor disputes and

448-749: A new image was adopted, which included the now famous hockey stick design, officially Caribbean Blue over Ionosphere Blue. Eastern was also the first US carrier to fly the Airbus A300 and the launch customer for the Boeing 757 . On April 30, 1961, Eastern inaugurated Eastern Air Lines Shuttle . Initially 95-seat Lockheed Constellation 1049s and 1049Cs left New York-LaGuardia every two hours, 8 am to 10 pm, to Washington National and to Boston . Flights soon became hourly, 7 am to 10 pm out of each city. No reservations or tickets were required; passengers could pay their fare in cash on board

504-429: A period of growth and innovation; for a time Eastern was the most profitable airline in the post-war era, never needing state subsidy. In the late 1950s Eastern's position was eroded by subsidies to rival airlines and the arrival of the jet age. On October 1, 1959, Rickenbacker's position as CEO was taken over by Malcolm A. MacIntyre , a brilliant lawyer but a man inexperienced in airline operations.' Rickenbacker's ouster

560-464: A pet relief area, two new gates, hundreds of new seats with charging ports, a departure and arrival board, and an area for a food/store vendor. In addition to the expansion, the existing terminal was given a renovation. The project cost $ 16 million dollars that was funded by a $ 12 million dollar grant from the FAA. Plans to add a parking structure are currently in discussion, with immediate plans to construct

616-410: A snack bar and a gift shop, operated by Tailwind. The airport's ground transportation is served by taxis; rental car companies; an RTS bus stop serving routes 25, 26, and 39; and hotel shuttle buses. Renovations that were completed in 2021 added 2 additional gates to the facility, in addition to a larger baggage screening area, and additional parking spaces. The terminal expansion and improvement project

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672-605: A spokesperson, was used until the mid-to-late 1980s. In 1975, Eastern was headquartered at 10 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan . After Frank Borman became president of Eastern Air Lines in late 1975, he moved Eastern's headquarters from Rockefeller Center to Miami-Dade County, Florida . Eastern's massive Atlanta hub was in direct competition with Delta Air Lines , where the two carriers competed heavily to neither's benefit. Delta's less-unionized work force and slowly expanding international route network helped lead it through

728-446: A temporary parking lot to alleviate capacity issues. The airport covers 1,650 acres (670 ha) and has two asphalt runways : 11/29 is 7,504 by 150 feet (2,287 x 46 m) and 07/25 is 4,158 by 100 feet (1,267 x 30 m). In the year ending September 30, 2022 the airport had 68,032 aircraft operations, average 186 per day: 78% general aviation , 6% air taxi , 7% military and 9% airline. 173 aircraft at that time were based at

784-429: A weakened airline structure, high fuel prices, an inability to compete after deregulation and other financial problems, Eastern filed for bankruptcy protection on March 9, which allowed Eastern to continue operating on a smaller scale. Lorenzo initially sought a sale of the entire airline, and on April 6, Eastern agreed to be acquired by former Major League Baseball commissioner Peter Uberroth for $ 464 million. However,

840-489: Is currently located) until its contracting route network forced Disney to switch to Delta shortly before Eastern's 1989 bankruptcy filing. The famous "Wings of Man" campaign in the late 1960s was created by advertising agency Young & Rubicam , and restored Eastern's tarnished image until the late 1970s, when former astronaut Frank Borman became president and it was replaced by a new campaign, "We Have To Earn Our Wings Every Day". The new campaign, which featured Borman as

896-536: Is owned by Gainesville-Alachua Co. Auth. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport (more than 10,000 enplanements per year). Gainesville Regional Airport had 177,282 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2011 and 159,499 enplanements in 2010. They also had 217,355 passenger boardings (enplanements) in 2015, more than 2% higher than 2014. Gainesville Regional Airport had 558,246 passengers in 2019. The airport annually hosts

952-428: Is unlikely to return to Ocala. In 2004 a $ 1.3 million plan was put in motion to upgrade the apron security system. Ocala International Airport covers 1,532 acres (620  ha ) at an elevation of 90 feet (27 m). It has two asphalt runways: runway 18/36 is 7,467 by 150 feet (2,276 x 46 m) and runway 8/26 is 3,009 by 50 feet (917 x 15 m). In May 2009 construction began on an air traffic control tower . The tower

1008-516: The Eastern Air Lines Shuttle . It took over Braniff International 's South American routes following Braniff's closure in 1982 and served London Gatwick in 1985 via its McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 "Golden Wings" service. Although Eastern announced on its March 2, 1986 timetable that it intended to initiate service to Madrid , effective May 1, 1986, it never commenced. The only scheduled transatlantic service Eastern provided

1064-470: The Miami and New York City areas. Later that month, Delta Air Lines acquired Eastern's gates at Atlanta, and Northwest Airlines acquired Eastern's gates at Washington National. Eastern Air Lines flew many different types of aircraft throughout its history. Several regional and commuter airlines provided passenger feed for Eastern via code sharing agreements with their aircraft liveries reflecting

1120-475: The Transport Workers Union (TWU) called a sympathy strike, which effectively shut down the airline's domestic operations. Non-contract employees, including airport gate and ticket counter agents and reservation sales agents, could not honor the strike. Due to the lockout and sympathy strike, cancelled flights resulted in the loss of millions of dollars in revenue. As a result of the strike,

1176-647: The Bahamas as part of this expansion. In 1973, Eastern purchased Caribair (Puerto Rico) , a small airline based in Puerto Rico which operated McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jets in the Caribbean. Eastern bought the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar and Airbus A300 widebody jets; the former would become known in the Caribbean as El Grandote (the huge one). Although Eastern had purchased four 747s,

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1232-604: The East. At the time, Eastern was the largest corporate employer in the Miami area and remained so after the cuts. John Nordheimer wrote in The New York Times that Eastern's prominence in the Miami area decreased as the city became a finance and trade center with a diversified local economy, instead of one based largely on tourism . During Lorenzo's tenure, Eastern was crippled by severe labor unrest that began long before

1288-468: The Eastern mainline paint scheme. There were a number of brandings including: Eastern Express, Eastern Atlantis Express, and Eastern Metro Express. LIAT , a Caribbean-based airline, also operated Eastern Partner service. Eastern Express air carriers and their aircraft included: Eastern Atlantis Express was operated by Atlantis Airlines with BAe Jetstream 31 aircraft. Eastern Metro Express

1344-616: The Federal Aviation Administration. The new airline began service through charter and wet-lease flights out of Miami International in late 2014 with Boeing 737-800 jetliners painted in the classic Eastern "hockey stick" livery. The IATA and ICAO codes of the original airline, as well as its callsign, were used by the new iteration of Eastern Air Lines. After a sale to Swift Air , the trademarks were passed on to Eastern Airlines, LLC in 2018. On January 12, 2020, after nearly two decades of being officially defunct,

1400-512: The Gator Fly In at the general aviation facilities. The event includes military aircraft displays, a classic car show, food trucks, live music, and aircraft rides aboard a Ford Tri-motor, a Cessna 172, and on helicopters. Construction of the airport began in April 1940 as a Works Project Administration project. In 1941 initial construction was completed. Upon conclusion of the construction by

1456-616: The Governor and one by Alachua County, and continues to oversee the Airport. On October 31, 2004 Gainesville Regional Airport hosted Air Force One during George W. Bush 's re-election campaign. 17,000 people attended the event. They hosted Air Force Two in 2023 after Hurricane Idalia In recent years the Airport has substantially completed several projects: the refurbishment of its primary runway (11/29), piping of an open ditch parallel to that runway, and completion of two phases of

1512-1078: The Terminal Renovation project. Three passenger boarding bridges have been installed. Eclipse Aviation , maker of the Eclipse 500 , operated its first factory service center in Gainesville until the company declared bankruptcy in 2009. In 2012 Silver Airways moved its maintenance facilities from Ft. Lauderdale into the existing Eclipse Aviation facility. Silver provides commercial airline service to several destinations around Florida and Bahamas. In April 2015, Silver Airways moved its maintenance to Orlando International. However, in 2023, Silver Airways announced they would return to Gainesville with service to Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport . But after about 1 year of service to Gainesville Silver Airways announced in August 2024 that they would shut down their service due to low demand and

1568-856: The United States Army Corps of Engineers, the facility was known as the Alachua Army Airfield and was used by the Army Air Corps and the Army Air Forces. The airfield was declared surplus in September 1945 and turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers on October 1, 1946. The War Assets Administration deeded the facility to the city of Gainesville in 1948 as a civil airport. The field was known as John R. Alison Airport or Gainesville Municipal Airport;

1624-461: The United States connecting mainly to Houston (IAH). Eric Schmitt of The New York Times said that the services were "a hybrid of late-night, red-eye flights and the barebones People Express approach to service." The holds of the aircraft were reserved for cargo such as express mail, machine tool parts, and textiles. Because of this, the airline allowed each passenger to take up to two carry-on bags. The airline charged $ 10 for each checked bag, which

1680-589: The acquisition. Asked to accept deep cuts in pay and benefits, on March 4, 1989, Lorenzo locked out Eastern's mechanics and ramp service employees, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). Concerned that Lorenzo's successful breaking of the IAM would do the same to the pilots' and flight attendants' unions, the pilots represented by Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and flight attendants represented by

1736-575: The air carrier subsequently being acquired by Eastern in 1973. In 2011, a group purchased the intellectual property, including trademarks, of Eastern Air Lines and formed the Eastern Air Lines Group. The group announced in early 2014 that it had filed an application with the United States Department of Transportation for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, which will be followed by certification with

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1792-707: The airline in the years to come. Lower oil prices failed to materialize and the debt created by this purchase coupled with the Airbus A300 purchases in 1977 contributed to the February 1986 sale to Frank Lorenzo 's Texas Air . At that time, Eastern was paying over $ 700,000 in interest each day before they sold a ticket, fueled, or boarded a single aircraft. Starting about 1985, Eastern offered "Moonlight Specials", with passenger seats on overnight flights scheduled for cargo from thirty freight companies. The flights, which operated between midnight and 7 am, served 18 cities in

1848-642: The airport: 98 single-engine, 18 multi-engine, 51 jet and 6 helicopter . Gainesville Regional Airport has one full service FBO , University Air Center. There were two, Gulf Atlantic Airways and Flight Line. Flight Line's contract with the airport authority expired and Gulf Atlantic became University Air Center. University Air Center has a pilots lounge with TV, snack machines, aircraft rentals and charters, flight instruction, and fuel. Gainesville Regional Airport's terminal has 5 gates. Gates 3, 4, and 5 are used by American Eagle . Gates 1 and 2 are used by Delta Air Lines and Delta Connection . The airport terminal has

1904-575: The city operated, maintained, and improved the airport, which was renamed the Gainesville Regional Airport in October 1977. The airline terminal was dedicated to John R. Alison in 1979. Eastern Airlines served Gainesville beginning in the 1950s, with flights to Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Ocala, eventually offering nonstop flights to Atlanta and Miami by the 1970s. Eastern served Gainesville until its bankruptcy in 1991 and

1960-592: The delivery slots were sold to Trans World Airlines ( TWA ) when Eastern decided to purchase the L-1011. Due to massive delays in the L-1011 program, mainly due to problems with the Rolls-Royce RB211 engines, Eastern leased two Boeing 747-100s from Pan Am between 1970 and 1972 and operated the aircraft between Chicago and San Juan as well as from New York to Miami and San Juan. The RB211 programme might easily have foundered in 1971 if it had not been for

2016-476: The flight. If a plane filled up at departure time, another plane was rolled out to carry any extra passengers. Internationalization began as Eastern opened routes to markets such as Santo Domingo and Nassau, Bahamas . Services from San Juan, Puerto Rico 's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport were expanded. In 1967, Eastern purchased Mackey Airlines , a small air carrier primarily operating in Florida and

2072-403: The last Electra flight leaving Ocala in 1972. Later scheduled passenger airline service included: The last airline flight left Ocala in 1987 when USAir Express pulled out. Airport facilities were then expanded to include a 3,000 foot crosswind runway, an extension of the main runway to 6,900 feet, an instrument landing approach, and FAA Part 139 certification. Scheduled passenger airline service

2128-451: The longer flights, like the non-stops from Chicago and New York City to Miami . The DC-8s were joined in 1962 by the Boeing 720 and in 1964 by the Boeing 727-100 , which Eastern (along with American Airlines and United Airlines ) had helped Boeing to develop. On February 1, 1964, Eastern was the first airline to fly the 727. Shortly after that, "Captain Eddie" Rickenbacker retired and

2184-633: The number of bookings, it did not stop the company from going bankrupt. Ultimately, Eastern Airlines stopped flying at midnight on Saturday, January 19, 1991. The previous evening, company agents, unaware of the decision, continued to take reservations and told callers that the airline was not closing. Following the announcement, 5,000 of the 18,000 employees immediately lost their jobs. Of the remaining employees, reservation agents were told to report to work at their regular times, while other employees were told not to report to work unless asked to do so. The Eastern shutdown eliminated many airline industry jobs in

2240-479: The owner of North American Aviation , purchased Pitcairn. In 1930, Keys changed the company's name to Eastern Air Transport . After being purchased by General Motors and experiencing a change in leadership after the Airmail Act of 1934, the airline became known as Eastern Air Lines. By 1937, Eastern's route system stretched from New York to Washington, Atlanta, and New Orleans, and from Chicago to Miami. In

2296-488: The same year, it operated 20 daily flights and returns, every hour on the hour, between New York and Washington; the flight time was one hour, twenty minutes, one-way. In 1938, World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker bought Eastern from General Motors. The complex deal was concluded when Rickenbacker together with Sidney Shannon presented Alfred P. Sloan with a certified check for US$ 3,500,000 (equivalent to $ 75,760,000 in 2023). Rickenbacker pushed Eastern into

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2352-665: The service as the Trump Shuttle . In August, Eastern signed a deal to sell sixteen DC-9 aircraft and gates in Philadelphia, Washington, and New York to Midway Airlines for $ 210 million. In May 1990, American Airlines acquired Eastern's Latin American routes and related assets for $ 471 million. After several failed attempts at obtaining creditor approval for restructuring plans, Lorenzo lost control of Eastern in April 1990, when former Continental president Martin Shugrue

2408-668: The steadfast support of Eastern Airlines, one of the major launch customers for the Lockheed TriStars. The President of Eastern was Sam Higginbottom , who never wavered and thereby acquired some criticism. Just before Walt Disney World opened in 1971, Eastern became its "official airline". It remained the official airline of Walt Disney World and sponsored a ride at the Magic Kingdom park ( If You Had Wings in Tomorrowland where Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

2464-414: The transaction was terminated on April 12 after Lorenzo refused to give temporary control to a trustee. The sale process was then terminated on April 18, and Lorenzo proposed a sale of $ 1.8 million in assets that would allow the airline to continue operating independently. In May 1989, Eastern sold its East Coast shuttle service to real estate mogul Donald Trump for $ 365 million. Trump continued operating

2520-447: The turbulent period following deregulation in 1978. In 1980, a Caribbean hub was started at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (known at the time as "Isla Verde International Airport") near San Juan, Puerto Rico . In 1982, Eastern acquired Braniff 's South American route network. By 1985, Eastern was the largest ATA airline in terms of passengers and operated in 26 countries on three continents. During this era, Eastern's fleet

2576-484: Was Miami to London Gatwick, commencing on July 15, 1985, and discontinuing the following year, in 1986, replaced with codeshare flights from Atlanta on British Caledonian Airways . Eastern Air Lines was a composite of assorted air travel corporations, including Florida Airways and Pitcairn Aviation . In the late 1920s, Pitcairn Aviation won a contract to fly mail between New York City and Atlanta, Georgia on Mailwing single-engine aircraft. In 1929, Clement Keys ,

2632-535: Was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida . Eastern was one of the " Big Four " domestic airlines created by the Spoils Conferences of 1930, and was headed in its early years by World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker . It had

2688-545: Was appointed as trustee to manage Eastern's reorganization. A report prepared by David Shapiro, an examiner appointed by the bankruptcy court overseeing Eastern's bankruptcy filing, concluded that Eastern was shortchanged by Texas Air in numerous transactions between the two. For example, Texas Air bought assets like System One, a computer reservation operation, from Eastern at a price far below market value. Eastern tried to remain in business in an attempt to correct its cash flow, but to no avail. Under bankruptcy, Eastern launched

2744-563: Was certified and staffed as an FAA Level I contract control tower in summer 2010. A new terminal building was completed in the spring of 2020. Current facilities on site include: For the year ending October 31, 2022 the airport had 58,465 aircraft operations, average 160 per day: 95% general aviation , 3% air taxi , 1% military , and <1% commercial . 146 aircraft were then based at the airport: 101 single-engine and 20 multi-engine airplanes , 15 jet , 9 helicopter , and 1 glider . In 2012, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John released

2800-750: Was completed July 29, 2021, and also added additional restrooms, additional food and beverage areas, a lactation room, an airport chapel, and a pet relief area, in addition to 2 additional gates In August 2021, the Gainesville City Commission approved FAA grants to cover engineering costs for improvements to the apron and taxiway and costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://web.archive.org/web/20150407100148/http://www.expressjet.com/wp-content/uploads/routemaps/2015/ExpressJet_DeltaSystem(Apr15).pdf Eastern Airlines Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern )

2856-637: Was consistently a profitable destination for the company. Air Florida served Gainesville in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with flights to Miami, Tampa and Ocala. In 1986 the State Legislature passed a bill that established the Airport as the Gainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport Authority. The Airport Authority has nine board members, five selected by the City of Gainesville, three by

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2912-659: Was largely due to his reluctance to acquire expensive jets as he underestimated their appeal to the public. A new management team headed by Floyd D. Hall took over on 16 December 1963, and Rickenbacker left his position as director and chairman of the board on December 31, 1963, aged 73. In 1956, Eastern bought Colonial Airlines , giving the airline its first routes to Canada. In November 1959, Eastern Air Lines opened its Chester L. Churchill-designed Terminal 1 at New York City's Idlewild International Airport , later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport . In 1960, Eastern's first jets , Douglas DC-8-21s , started to take over

2968-833: Was operated by Metro Airlines and was based at Eastern's Atlanta (ATL) hub operating British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 and de Havilland Canada DHC-8-100 Dash 8 turboprops. Eastern Partner was operated by a Caribbean-based airline, Leeward Islands Air Transport , with turboprop service between Eastern's San Juan hub and Antigua , St. Kitts and St. Maarten . Eastern also worked closely with another Caribbean-based airline, Caribair (Puerto Rico) . The June 13, 1967 Eastern system timetable lists connecting flights operated by Caribair Convair 640 turboprops with service between Eastern's San Juan hub and St. Croix and St. Thomas. By 1970, San Juan-based Caribair had become an all-jet airline operating McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 aircraft serving fourteen Caribbean islands as well as Miami with

3024-514: Was shipped standby. The airline charged between 50 cents and $ 3 for beverages and snacks. Bunny Duck, an Eastern flight attendant quoted in The New York Times , said that the passengers on the special flights were "a cross section of families, college kids, illegal aliens and weirdos from L.A.". Eastern began losing money as it faced competition from no-frills airlines, such as People Express , which offered lower fares. In an attempt to differentiate itself from its bargain competitors, Eastern began

3080-436: Was split between their "silver-colored hockey stick" livery (the lack of paint reduced weight by 100 pounds) and their "white-colored hockey stick" livery (on its Airbus -manufactured planes, which required paint to cover the aircraft's composite skin panels). In 1983, Eastern became the launch customer of Boeing 's 757 , which was ordered in 1978. Borman felt that its low cost of operation would make it an invaluable asset to

3136-494: Was the largest fine assessed against an airline until American Airlines was fined $ 24.2 million in 2010. Eastern's FAA violations all occurred prior to the acquisition by Texas Air. In 1988, Phil Bakes, the president of Eastern Air Lines, announced plans to lay off 4,000 employees and eliminate and reduce service to airports in the Western United States ; he said that the airline was going "back to our roots" in

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