State College Regional Airport

State College Regional Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorPennsylvania State University
Centre County Airport Authority
ServesCentral Pennsylvania
LocationBenner Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Time zone(UTC -4 EDT/EST)
Elevation AMSL1,239 ft (378 m)
Coordinates40°50′57″N 77°50′55″W / 40.84917°N 77.84861°W / 40.84917; -77.84861
Websitewww.flysce.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Interactive map of State College Regional Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
6/24 6,701 2,042 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Aircraft Movements41,759
Based Aircraft53
Source: FAA[1]

State College Regional Airport (IATA: SCE, ICAO: KUNV, FAA LID: UNV), formerly University Park Airport, is a public airport in Benner Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania,[2] serving State College and Central Pennsylvania. The airport covers 1,105 acres (447 ha) and has one active runway.

The airport is owned by The Pennsylvania State University, but the terminal building and parking areas are owned and operated by the Centre County Airport Authority.[3] On February 26, 2026, Penn State and the airport authority announced a deal to sell the airport to the Centre County Airport Authority.[4] It is currently served by United Express and American Eagle, connecting to hubs in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois and North Carolina.

History

In the 1950's, a small airport was built on land leased from Penn State, just north of State College. The Centre County Airport Authority was created to manage the development of the airport. The October 1959 chart shows a 2350-foot runway 6; the August 1965 chart shows 3000 feet; the November 1967 chart adds 2350-foot runway 16. (The intersection of those two 50-foot runways is still visible at 40°50′57″N 77°51′11″W / 40.8492°N 77.85315°W / 40.8492; -77.85315). The present runway was built parallel to the old runway 6 in 1973-1974; it was then 5000 feet long.

In 1965, Harrisburg Commuter began flights from State College to Harrisburg, two flights each weekday. The 1965 Official Airlines Guide does not state which airport they served, but starting in 1978, Allegheny Commuter flights were at University Park. Penn State assumed the lease and assets of the airport in 1972.[5] A permanent passenger terminal was built in 1985. A new passenger terminal was completed in 1993, and cargo operations moved to the old terminal. In 1997, the runway was lengthened to 6,701 ft (2,042 m).[6] A new general aviation hangar was built in 2001.[7]

Construction on the control tower began on January 8, 2010[8] and was completed in August 2011. The Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) went operational on September 1, 2011, and is operated by Midwest Air Traffic Control under the Federal Contract Tower Program.

There were 148,196 enplanements in 2025,[9] making State College Regional Airport the 6th busiest airport in Pennsylvania, after Wilkes Barre/Scranton (AVP), Allentown/Lehigh Valley (ABE), Harrisburg (MDT), Pittsburgh (PIT), and Philadelphia (PHL).[10]

On November 3, 2023, the Centre County Airport Authority announced that University Park Airport had been renamed State College Regional Airport.[11][12]

Services

The Centre County Airport Authority owns and operates the commercial airline terminal. The terminal consists of a restaurant, vending machines, free Wi-Fi, charging stations for mobile devices, and a conference room. Taxi, limousine services, and car rentals are available. The airport does not have jet bridges, and all aircraft board from ground-level hardstands. However, there are plans to add two boarding bridges in the future.[13] The airport plans to submit an application for a grant from the FAA for the project when funding opportunities are available.[14]

Penn State University fixed-base operator (FBO) offers fuel, flight planning services, aircraft repair, and hangar rental.

Airlines that operate to each destination are listed below:

As of July 2026, there are three daily flights to Washington-Dulles, three daily flights to Philadelphia, and four daily flights to Chicago.[16]

United Airlines

United currently flies from State College to Chicago O'Hare and Washington Dulles with daily service aboard Bombardier CRJ-550, CRJ-200, and Embraer ERJ-145 regional aircraft. They occasionally utilize the Embraer 175 during peak demand periods.

United Airlines offered nonstop service between State College and Columbus for the Penn State at Ohio State football game on November 1, 2025. The one time offering departed State College on October 31 and returned on November 2. GoJet Airlines serviced this route as United Express utilizing a CRJ-550 aircraft.[17]

United Airlines offered service between Dallas Fort Worth and State College on December 20, 2024, and December 22, 2024, for the SMU at Penn State college football playoff game at Beaver Stadium. Republic Airways serviced this route under the United Express brand deploying an Embraer 175 aircraft.[18]

United Airlines cut Washington Dulles service and added service to Newark in March 2022[19] to "closely match supply with demand" amid labor and aircraft shortages. This was a temporary shift, and in June 2024,[20] Washington Dulles service was reinstated and Newark service was discontinued.

American Airlines

American currently flies from State College to Philadelphia with daily service aboard Embraer 145 aircraft operated by Piedmont Airlines. PSA Airlines occasionally operates flights onboard CRJ-900 aircraft during peak travel periods. On May 26, 2026, it was announced that American Airlines would begin service to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, with twice-daily flights commencing on October 5, 2026. [15]

American Eagle operated twice daily service to Chicago from April 2019 to November 2023.[21] This service was operated by Envoy Air onboard Embraer 145 aircraft.

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines operated between State College and Detroit until January 8, 2023, when the service was replaced[22] with service to New York LaGuardia. Delta later suspended service from State College to New York LaGuardia on June 5, 2023, citing personnel shortages.[23] A spokesperson for Delta Air Lines confirmed that Delta was going to "temporarily suspend" service to State College.[24] In May 2026, the airport identified Delta flights to Detroit as an opportunity it planned to pursue, though Delta has yet to comment on the possibility as of July 2026.[25]

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air operated 2-4 flights per week to Orlando-Sanford and St. Petersburg/Clearwater from October 2019 to May 2022 using Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft. Allegiant suspended all service at State College due to "labor and demand constraints affecting the entire airline industry" in May 2022.[26]

Cargo Flights

At this time, there are no regularly scheduled cargo flights to or from State College Regional Airport. Mountain Air Cargo previously operated Cessna Caravan 208 flights between State College and Pittsburgh under the FedEx Feeder brand. Cargo flights to and from Pittsburgh concluded on May 2, 2026.[27]

Other Offerings

Flixbus has a stop at State College Regional Airport with service from New York City to Chicago.[28]

Private aircraft are serviced by fixed-base operator Penn State Aviation Center.[29]

Tech Aviation Flight School is located at the T-Hangars.

Facilities

Runways

Runway 24 at University Park Airport

State College Regional Airport features one active runway.[30] The end closest to Rock Road is Runway 24, bearing a magnetic heading of 243 degrees. Runway 24 is equipped with an instrument landing system (ILS) and is used as the primary landing and departing runway. Runway 6 is used as a visual runway; however, infrastructure has been considered to improve satellite-based approaches.[30] Runway 16 and 34 was formerly used for general aviation but was closed.[30]

Aircraft

A Piper Cherokee parked at the airport

State College Regional Airport regularly operates the Bombardier CRJ family, Embraer ERJ145s, and Embraer E175s. American Eagle and United Express operate regional jets to the airport. Most commonly, flights are operated on Embraer ERJ-145, Bombardier CRJ-550, Bombardier CRJ-200, and occasionally Embraer E-175 and Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft. De Havilland Canada Dash 8s were common until their replacement by regional jets. Geisinger operates an Airbus H145 helicopter as a LifeFlight service, with a hangar at the airport. The airport sees numerous general aviation aircraft; Piper PA-28 Cherokees and business jets are common, while larger aircraft up to Boeing 757s can be seen as charter jets along with members of the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families.[31]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
American Eagle Charlotte (begins October 5, 2026),[32] Philadelphia[33]
United Express Chicago–O'Hare,[33] Washington–Dulles[34]

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest routes from SCE (June 2025 - May 2026) [35]
Rank City Passengers Carrier
1 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 60,610 United
2 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 46,570 American
3 Washington–Dulles, Virginia 46,530 United
Top Destinations (June 2025 - May 2026)[36]
  1. Chicago (39.4%)
  2. Philadelphia (30.3%)
  3. Washington (30.3%)

Carrier shares

Regional carrier shares (June 2025 - May 2026)
Based on passengers both departing and arriving.[37]
Carrier Passengers (arriving and departing)
Piedmont
91,990(30.17%)
CommuteAir
89,740(29.43%)
GoJet
78,680(25.8%)
SkyWest
38,730(12.7%)
Republic Airways
4,770(1.56%)
Airline Market Share at SCE (June 2025 - May 2026)[37]
Rank Airline Passengers Market Share
1 United Airlines 211,920 69.73%
2 American Airlines 91,990 30.27%
Carrier Shares (June 2025 - May 2026)[37]
  1. United (69.7%)
  2. American (30.3%)

Annual traffic

Year[37] Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers
2008 201,898 2014 270,891 2020 143,000 2026
2009 209,777 2015 277,128 2021 240,000 2027
2010 211,154 2016 262,260 2022 215,000 2028
2011 213,929 2017 267,530 2023 267,000 2029
2012 230,121 2018 298,800 2024 257,000 2030
2013 229,923 2019 379,100 2025 291,400 2031

Military

B-25 Mitchell "Yankee Warrior"

State College Regional Airport is home to Civil Air Patrol Nittany Composite Squadron PA-338.[38] The squadron operates a Cessna 182 Skylane registered as N848CP.

The United States Army and Air National Guard routinely fly Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft into UNV for training missions. Aircraft such as the F/A-18 Hornet and A-10 Thunderbolt II have staged at the airport to participate in flyovers of Beaver Stadium.[39]

U.S. Presidents have flown into UNV aboard Boeing C-32s operating as Air Force One.[40]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "FAA Airport Form 5010 for UNV" (PDF). FAA. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)
  2. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Benner township, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. p. 2 (PDF p. 3/3). Retrieved July 10, 2026. State Correctional Institution Rockview
    See also: "Benner Township Zoning Map." Zoning Ordinance Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Benner Township, March 2009. Retrieved on July 10, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Comprehensive Plan of the Nittany Valley Region" (PDF). Center County. September 16, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 8, 2005. Retrieved April 6, 2006.
  4. ↑ Rushton, Geoff (February 26, 2026). "Penn State Plans to Sell State College Regional Airport to Centre County Airport Authority". StateCollege.com.
  5. ↑ "An Illustrated History of Penn State". Michael Bezilla. 1985. Archived from the original on March 5, 2008. Retrieved April 6, 2006.
  6. ↑ "University Park Airport Receives $3.8 Million Federal Grant". The Business Journal. August 30, 2004. Retrieved April 6, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ↑ "Poole Anderson Construction – PSU". 2002. Archived from the original on May 18, 2007. Retrieved April 6, 2006.
  8. ↑ "Construction Begins On University Park Airport Control Tower". WTAJ TV. January 2010. Archived from the original on January 19, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Highest Passenger Activity at State College Regional Airport since pre-COVID". WTAJ (published January 23, 2026). January 30, 2026.
  10. ↑ "State College, PA: University Park (SCE)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  11. ↑ Rushton, Geoff (November 1, 2023). "University Park Airport Renamed State College Regional Airport". StateCollege.com. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  12. ↑ Pallotto, Bret (November 1, 2023). "Here's why University Park Airport has just been renamed State College Regional Airport". Centre Daily Times.
  13. ↑ "Major Changes Coming to State College Regional Airport".
  14. ↑ "State College Regional Airport and Centre County Airport Authority Announce Plans for Passenger Boarding Bridges".
  15. 1 2 "State College airport adding sought-after new nonstop destination this fall". www.centredaily.com.
  16. ↑ "State College airport to add more daily flights in 2026". Centre Daily Times. February 11, 2026.
  17. ↑ "State College airport to add nonstop flight to Columbus for Ohio State game". Yahoo Sports. July 11, 2025.
  18. ↑ Gill, CJ (December 11, 2024). "United Airlines adds flights to State College ahead of playoff games". Onward State.
  19. ↑ Rushton, Geoff (December 30, 2021). "United suspending service to D.C., but is adding another service". StateCollege.com.
  20. ↑ Rushton, Geoff (February 16, 2024). "Flights to Washington D.C. resume at State College Regional Airport". StateCollege.com.
  21. ↑ Wainwright, Alexis (December 19, 2018). "University Park Airport Adds More Flights to Accommodate Growing Demand". WJAC.
  22. ↑ Hymowitz, Matt (December 21, 2024). "Delta is adding flights from State College to New York, but is ending one service". Centre Daily Times.
  23. ↑ Rushton, Geoff (April 3, 2023). "Delta to Suspend Service at University Park Airport". StateCollege.com.
  24. ↑ Hymowitz, Matt (April 6, 2023). "Delta suspending State College-New York flights". Centre Daily Times.
  25. ↑ Rushton, Geoff (May 26, 2026). "State College Regional Airport Adding Nonstop Service to Charlotte". StateCollege.com. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
  26. ↑ Weaver, Jared (June 8, 2022). "Allegiant to suspend service at University Park Airport". WTAJ - www.wtaj.com.
  27. ↑ "FedEx to shut down Centre, Blair County shipping centers".
  28. ↑ "FlixBus Expands Routes with New NYC to Chicago Line with Stop at State College Regional Airport".
  29. ↑ "PSU Aviation Center". Penn State.
  30. 1 2 3 "Facility Requirements" (PDF). University Park Airport. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  31. ↑ Riddle, Holly (May 31, 2019). "University Park Airport is seeing a record number of travelers – and with some big plans and bigger ideas, more growth is in the air -". StateCollege.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  32. ↑ Moyer, Josh (May 26, 2026). "State College airport adding sought-after new nonstop destination this fall". Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  33. 1 2 "State College Regional Airport announces more flights to Philadelphia, Chicago, and Washington-Dulles". August 20, 2024.
  34. ↑ Gill, Cadyn (February 24, 2026). "State College Regional Airport To Increase Daily Flights With United, American Airlines". Onward State. Retrieved March 9, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Bureau of Transportation Statistics". Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Bureau of Transportation Statistics". Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  37. 1 2 3 4 "BTS | Transtats Airports". www.transtats.bts.gov.
  38. ↑ "Nittany Composite Squadron 338". Civil Air Patrol. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Homecoming game and military flyover thrill alumni, fans". Penn State News. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  40. ↑ Choquette, Stefan (February 4, 2011). "University Park Airport Ideal Destination for Slimmer Air Force One". Onward State. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to State College Regional Airport.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.