Albany International Airport – Eyes Only Archive

Albany International Airport (IATA: ALB, ICAO: KALB) sits six miles (9.7 km) northwest of Albany, in the town of Colonie, Albany County, New York, on approximately 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land that was once farmed by the Shaker community. Owned by Albany County and operated by the Albany County Airport Authority, it functions as the principal air center for the Capital District, Mohawk Valley, Upper Hudson Valley, Southern Adirondacks, Catskills, and Western New England. The airport reached a milestone in 2025, recording just under 1.6 million enplanements, the highest departing-passenger total in its history.

Key facts

Country: United States
Type: international airport; airport; commercial traffic aerodrome
Located in: Colonie
Coordinates: 42.7492, -73.8019
Elevation: 87 m

Location and Infrastructure

The airport lies at an elevation of 87 meters above sea level and operates as a Class C (Charlie) airspace facility. Albany Shaker Road connects the terminal directly to Interstate 87, the Adirondack Northway; State Route 155 and State Route 7 also provide road access to the site.

Two asphalt runways cross each other on the airfield. Runway 01/19 runs north-south and measures 8,500 feet (2,591 m) long and 150 feet wide; runway 10/28 measures 7,200 feet (2,195 m) long and the same 150-foot width. Because prevailing winds tend to follow the line of the Hudson Valley, runway 01/19 handles the majority of airline traffic.

History

Albany Municipal Airport moved to its present location in Colonie in 1928, on land previously farmed by the local Shaker community near Albany Shaker Road. The formal dedication on October 6, 1928 drew an exhibition of 300 aircraft, including a 1908 Wright brothers biplane and Amelia Earhart’s tri-motored Fokker, which had recently made an Atlantic crossing.

Financial pressures led the City of Albany to sell its stake in the airport to Albany County in 1960 for $4.4 million. Albany County then constructed a new terminal and maintenance building in 1962, establishing the county as the sole owner and operator of the facility.

The airport carries a deeper layer of history beneath its runways. The original 12 members of America’s first Shaker community moved into a log cabin in 1776 near the northern end of what is now runway 01/19. Across Albany Shaker Road, the Watervliet Shaker Historic District, also established in 1776, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and retains about eight surviving original Shaker buildings, among them an 1848 Meeting House.

Operations and Employment

More than 1,200 people work at Albany International Airport across the Airport Authority, airlines, the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, and various concessions including rental car agencies and food service outlets.

In 2025, the airport set an all-time departing-passenger record with just under 1.6 million enplanements, exceeding the previous record of 1.56 million set in 2004. Southwest Airlines operates the airport’s longest nonstop service, a 2,230-mile (3,589-km) route to Las Vegas, Nevada, with a flight time of approximately 5 hours and 20 minutes.

Accessibility and Recognition

Albany International Airport became the first airport in the United States, and the fourth worldwide, to receive the Airports Council International Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation. The accreditation recognizes the facility’s provisions for passengers with disabilities.

Art and Culture Program

Since 1998, the airport has run an Art and Culture Program that places exhibitions from Capital Region artists and museums in dedicated terminal galleries and concourses. The program reaches an audience of more than three million people each year, extending regional cultural work to travelers who might not otherwise encounter it.

Did you know

At the October 6, 1928 dedication ceremony, the 300 aircraft on display included Amelia Earhart’s tri-motored Fokker, fresh from an Atlantic crossing. In the airport’s early years, three of aviation’s most celebrated pioneers — Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and James Doolittle — all passed through the Albany airfield. (hoxsie.org)
The longest nonstop route from Albany International Airport runs to Las Vegas, Nevada: 2,230 miles (3,589 km) served by Southwest Airlines, with a flying time of approximately 5 hours and 20 minutes. (flightconnections.com)

Data sources

Data updated: 2026-10-29