Salisbury–Ocean City–Wicomico Regional Airport

Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport Salisbury Airport
IATA: SBY ICAO: KSBY FAA LID: SBY
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Wicomico County
Operator	Wicomico County Airport Commission
Serves	Salisbury, Maryland & Region
Location	Salisbury, Maryland
Opened	October 11, 1943; 73 years ago (1943-10-11)
Elevation AMSL	53 ft / 16 m
Coordinates	38°20′24″N 75°30′34″W / 38.34000°N 75.50944°W / 38.34000; -75.50944Coordinates: 38°20′24″N 75°30′34″W / 38.34000°N 75.50944°W / 38.34000; -75.50944
Website	Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport
Map
SBY Show map of Maryland SBY Show map of the US Location of airport in Maryland / United States
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 14/32 6,400 1,951 Paved 5/23 5,000 1,524 Paved
Statistics (2011)
Enplanements 72,568
Statistics: FAA Passenger Boarding Data

Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport (IATA: SBY, ICAO: KSBY, FAA LID: SBY), or, more succinctly Wicomico Regional Airport, is located in unincorporated Wicomico County, Maryland, 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast from downtown Salisbury, Maryland, United States. Salisbury is the largest city of Maryland's Eastern Shore with a population of 125,200 in the metro area. As the only commercial airport on the Delmarva Peninsula, Salisbury also serves Delaware, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, which include the other large cities of Ocean City, Cambridge, and Easton. Currently, the General Airport Management is headed by manager Dawn Veatch.

In 1940, Wicomico County and the City of Salisbury begun to construct the airport with the Works Progress Administration. It originally encompassed 695 acres and cost $1.5 million. Officially opened on November 11, 1943, Salisbury was originally leased to the U.S. Navy as a training base during World War II up through 1945.

After the war ended, Airfield Operating Corp. leased the airport beginning commercial activity to Easton, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.. Later, in 1949 the City and County resume management of the airport and All American Airways takes over for Chesapeake Airways, later superseded in 1950 by Allegheny Airlines. Numerous improvement projects including runway resurfacing and taxiway lights were installed in the 1960s. Henson Aviation, under contract with Allegheny Airlines and owned by Richard A. Henson, began scheduled commuter service in 1968 and operated with the idea of using "frequency" flights using small aircraft which would shuttle passengers to many airports along the east coast. However, Allegheny discontinued the service in 1969. In 1971, the City of Salisbury relinquishes its interest to the county. In 1978, the Maryland State Police establish a medevac helicopter base.