Alabama has four airports, each one located in a different region of the state. Huntsville International Airport and Birmingham International Airport service the northern part of Alabama, while Montgomery Regional Airport covers the central region and Mobile Regional Airport handles flights to the Gulf Coast. Most travelers fly into Birmingham, which has the widest range of connections to cities across the US and Canada, but most large US carriers have service to all four airports.
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
Alabama’s main airport is at Birmingham, the state’s largest city. Nearly three million people fly through the airport every year, with 130 daily connections to 48 cities around the country. It has 22 direct flights that reach as far west as Las Vegas and as north as New York. Airlines operating out of Birmingham include American, Delta, US Airways, United, and Southwest.
The modern terminal has a food court on the upper level and a variety of restaurants and gift shops in Concourse C both before and after security. On the upper level is the Business Center with notebook-ready work stations, a fax and photocopy machine and Fed Ex package drop-off. There is Wi-Fi internet service throughout the terminal building.
Several shuttle and limousine companies offer door-to-door transport throughout Alabama, but only one accepts advance reservations. Six taxi companies including American Cab (+1-205-322-2222) operate outside of Baggage Claim on the ground level and seven major companies have offices in the Rental Car Facility on the parking deck. Alamo, Avis, and Budget are just some of the well-known chains represented at the airport, which is located just five miles east of downtown Birmingham.
Huntsville International Airport
Alabama’s other international airport is located just outside of Huntsville, in the north part of the state. It handles around 1.2 million passengers annually who fly between 11 destinations including Washington DC, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Atlanta, and Chicago. Five carriers operate daily direct flights including US Airways, United, Delta, American, and AirTran. Through these airlines, it’s easy to make further connections on to international destinations.
Huntsville’s airport has just completed a major renovation project that has transformed the terminal into a more modern and convenient venue for travel. A handful of eateries and gift shops can be found inside which is connected to the Sheraton Four Points hotel. Several taxi companies await each arriving flight outside of Baggage Claim, and car rental chains such as Avis, Budget, and Hertz provide vehicles in the same area.