Travelersin the region shouldn?t have any trouble getting to and from some nearby airports, according to Aviation.com, a travel news Web site.
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Reagan National Airport and Philadelphia International Airport rank among the top 10 most-accessible airports in the country, according to the site designed for business travelers.
BWI ranked 10th on the list of U.S. airports that make it “easy to skip cab lines, traffic and high fares,” according to Aviation.com.
“This list confirms BWI?s reputation as an airport that?s easy to use and easy to access,” said Jonathan O. Dean, communications manager for the Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA). “BWI?s slogan for years has been, ?The easy come, easy go gateway.? ”
Along with ample roadway access, BWI is one of few U.S. airports to have a rail system within the airport, according to Aviation.com.
Activity at the BWI?s rail stop has increased by almost 60 percent since 2001, said Holly Henderson, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Transit Administration. Average daily use was 980 passengers in 2001, increasing to an average of 1,546 daily riders in May 2007.
“Travel to Washington and Baltimore is available from Amtrak and MARC,” Aviation.com reported. “A light-rail station provides additional access to Baltimore and the surrounding suburbs.”
From Washington?s Metro system, travelers can use the BWI Express/B30 Metrobus. The service runs every 40 minutes, seven days a week, between BWI and the Washington Metro?s Greenbelt station.
“Easy access to the airport by roadway and transit is an important factor for our travelers,” Timothy L. Campbell, executive director of the MAA, said in a statement.
Reagan National ranked second on the list because the Washington Metro rail stops at the airport?s B and C terminals, according to Aviation.com. Travelers leaving from the A terminal can take a bus from terminals B and C.
BWI serviced more than 56,000 passengers and handled more than 800 operations per day last year. In fiscal 2006, the airport generated a $16.29 million surplus, according to the MAA.
Airlines such as Southwest and AirTran Airways have enjoyed success at BWI, adding or extending domestic and international services from the airport this year.
“Baltimore is such a great city for us ? it?s one of our largest operations,” Whitney Eichinger, spokeswoman for Southwest, said last month.
Most accessible U.S. airports
1. Boston Logan International
2. Washington Ronald Reagan National
3. San Francisco International
4. New York John F. Kennedy
5. Minneapolis-St. Paul International
6. Chicago O?Hare International
7. Philadelphia International
8. Portland International
9. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson
10. Baltimore/Washington International
Source: Aviation.com
