Airports in New Hampshire

Airports in New Hampshire
Name	Airports in New Hampshire
Caption	Terminal at Manchester–Boston Regional Airport
Major airport	Manchester–Boston Regional Airport
State	New Hampshire
Codes	MHT, PSM, LGC

Airports in New Hampshire

New Hampshire's airports form a network of public, private, and military Manchester–Boston Regional Airport (MHT), Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM), and regional airfields that link Concord, Keene, Nashua and Hanover to the New England corridor. The state's airports serve commercial carriers, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, charter operators, general aviation, and Air National Guard units, supporting tourism to White Mountains, Mount Washington, and maritime access to Portsmouth Harbor.

Overview

New Hampshire's aviation infrastructure includes primary commercial service airports like Manchester–Boston Regional Airport, reliever and regional airports such as Portsmouth International Airport at Pease, Lebanon Municipal Airport (LEB), Concord Municipal Airport, and general aviation fields including Dillant–Hopkins Airport (EEN), Keene Dillant–Hopkins Airport, Merrimack County Airport and Laconia Municipal Airport (LCI). Aviation facilities interface with federal authorities like the Federal Aviation Administration and regional entities such as the New Hampshire Department of Transportation and local airport authorities in Hillsborough County and Rockingham County. The state's airports provide instrument approaches tied to ILS and GPS procedures connecting to enroute centers including the Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center.

List of Airports

Major public airports: - Manchester–Boston Regional Airport (MHT) — primary commercial hub serving Boston Logan, LaGuardia, and other hubs. - Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM) — mixed civil-military facility and cargo gateway for Portsmouth and Seacoast. - Lebanon Municipal Airport (LEB) — regional commercial service near Dartmouth College in Hanover. - Concord Municipal Airport (KCON) — reliever airport for state capital Concord. Regional and general aviation airports: - Dillant–Hopkins Airport (EEN), Laconia Municipal Airport (LCI), Keene Dillant–Hopkins Airport (EEN/KEEN), Mount Washington Regional Airport (HAK), Petersburg Municipal Airport (note: small fields historically listed), Whitefield Airport, Pittsfield Municipal Airport, Colebrook Municipal Airport, Merrimack County Airport, North Conway Airport. Military and joint-use: - Pease Air National Guard Base at Pease AFB — host to 157th Air Refueling Wing and joint civil operations. Specialized facilities: - Seaplane bases on Lake Winnipesaukee and coastal floatplane docks near Portsmouth Harbor and Great Bay.

History

Early aviation in New Hampshire traces to barnstormers and the Great Lakes Air Mail era with municipal fields established in the 1920s and 1930s, followed by wartime expansion during World War II when Pease Air Force Base and auxiliary fields were developed to support United States Army Air Forces operations. Postwar years saw commercial growth as Northeastern Airlines, Eastern Air Lines, and later American Airlines and Delta Air Lines served Manchester and regional centers; the emergence of regional carriers such as CommutAir and PenAir reflected deregulation changes after the Airline Deregulation Act. Infrastructure projects in the late 20th century modernized terminals at Manchester–Boston Regional Airport and converted former military property at Pease Air Force Base into Portsmouth International Airport at Pease and industrial parks, paralleling economic transitions in Rockingham County and Hillsborough County.

Facilities and Operations

Airfield facilities vary from full-service terminals with security screening under the Transportation Security Administration to turf runways at community airports. Manchester features parallel runways, FAA-towered operations, fixed-base operators such as Signature Flight Support and Jet Aviation, customs facilities for international arrivals, and cargo handling for carriers like FedEx Express and UPS Airlines. Lebanon (LEB) supports regional jet operations and general aviation with Cape Air and commuter services linked to Boston Logan International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. Pease maintains apron space for air cargo, cold storage, and aerospace maintenance contractors. Many municipal airports provide flight training schools, Civil Air Patrol units, aerial firefighting staging areas during wildfire season, and instrument approach capabilities tied to National Airspace System procedures.

Airlines and Destinations

Scheduled carriers serving New Hampshire historically include American Eagle, Delta Connection, United Express, Cape Air, and low-cost and seasonal operators. Manchester–Boston Regional Airport offers flights to hubs such as Chicago O'Hare, Atlanta, New York JFK via regional affiliates, while Portsmouth hosts cargo charters and seasonal leisure routes. Lebanon provides connections to Boston Logan International Airport and regional hubs operated by commuter airlines. Seasonal service increases link New Hampshire airports to destinations in Florida, North Carolina, and California for tourism and seasonal migration.

Economic and Transportation Impact

Airports anchor regional development, supporting industries including tourism to White Mountain National Forest, Franconia Notch State Park, and ski resorts such as Bretton Woods; they enable corporate travel for firms in Manchester and the Seacoast region and facilitate air cargo flows for manufacturers in Nashua and Hudson. Airport redevelopment at Pease spurred aerospace, logistics, and cold-chain businesses, while Manchester's air links attract conferences and healthcare transport to institutions like Dartmouth Health and Catholic Medical Center. Planning bodies coordinate multimodal links among airports, Interstate 93, Interstate 95, and regional rail initiatives, influencing land use in Merrimack County and Grafton County and affecting employment through airport authorities, airline partners, and contractors.

Category:Transportation in New Hampshire