Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
History, Facts and Overview
(Sacramento, California - CA, USA)
Originally known as Sacramento Metropolitan, the Sacramento International Airport of today dates back to the end of 1967, when it replaced many of the services at the nearby Executive Airport. Covering around 6,000 acres / 2,430 hectares, many people considered the plans to be too large and overly ambitious. However, in its first year, Sacramento Airport served more than one million passengers, already exceeding its projected figures of 750,000.
The 1980s and 1990s were a time of great change, when much construction work was carried out to improve the facilities and runways. Terminal A opened in 1996, complete with its own car rental area, leading the way for other American airports. At this stage, Metropolitan was relaunched as the Sacramento International Airport (SMF). New airlines continued to arrive and in 2004, a new parking garage was completed, raising the total number of spaces to more than 12,000.
The passenger facilities provided at Sacramento International Airport today include cash machines located throughout the terminal, medical facilities, a popular full-service post office, and a lost property area. There is also an excellent selection of shops at the airport, selling a range of Californian gifts, travel goods and current newspapers, as well as many different types of eateries. Those planning to eat out will find plenty of choice, including Cinnabon, the Home Turf Sports Grill, Java City, La Salsa Mexican Grill, Starbucks Coffee, TCBY Treats, and Vino Volo, all of which can be found within the food court, just past security.
Business and conference facilities at Sacramento International Airport are provided by the Host International Hotel, which is located within the airport grounds and easy to reach. There are two conference rooms here, together with fax and Internet services. For those passengers who have enabled laptop computers, Sacramento Airport also boasts fast wireless Internet access.
