Albany International Airport - Colonie, NY - Public airport

Albany International Airport is located in the town of Colonie in Albany County, New York. Serving the whole of the Albany area and beyond, its 21 gates see numerous flights on a daily basis offering both direct and connection flights to cities throughout the US.

The airport was under construction in 1928 and was built on the site of a Shaker settlement just 6 miles from Albany. Originally consisting of 249 acres, by 1949 it had grown to 800 and today it stands at 1,200 acres. Numerous expansion and improvement projects have been underway since its conception, and these continue to this day to constantly improve the experience for passengers.

Today the airport is home to two runways, one 8,500 ft long and the other 7,200 ft, which see a total of 150 operations daily - an average of 75 departures and 75 arrivals. Airlines that are based at the airport include Air Canada, Cape Air, Continental Express, Southwest Airlines and US Airways, as well as charter airline Million Air. The cargo facilities play host to three cargo operators - FedEx, UPS and Mobile Air.

The newly-renovated terminal is home to all the conveniences you would expect from a modern airport, including hot and cold food, convenience stores and gift shops. With cafes, bars and restaurants including Starbucks, Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen and Saranac Street Pub there's something to suit all tastes and requirements, and for shoppers there's the Departure gift shop, a unique shop offering hand-crafted gifts and artwork from 70 regional museums, as well as Capital Gifts, Capital Book Sellers and all the usual news concessions.

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the terminal and there's also a business center, providing a complete business environment for all business travelers, as well as three conference rooms and meeting rooms being available for private hire.

A range of parking options are available, including the short-stay lot which is free for the first 30 minutes for dropping off or greeting passengers. The long and short term parking lots are accessed by a covered walkway, and the 2,400 space parking garage takes passengers directly to the terminal via a heated bridge. The economy surface lots are a bit further afield but are serviced by a regular shuttle bus taking travelers right to the front of the terminal.

There's a taxi stand right outside the baggage claim area with fully-licensed cabs, and there's even a limousine service available with prior booking. The airport is serviced by both local and national bus services, available to take passengers to a variety of destinations. A number of car rental companies are also stationed at the airport, and there are even several nearby hotels that offer shuttle services to and from the airport - make sure to check in advance with the hotel you're staying at.

Albany International Airport offers everything that the discerning traveler could need, and with such a prime location and being able to get to so many places it means that it's a great airport for all traveling needs.