Lakeland is a beautiful city located in Polk County, Florida and is known as the principal city of the Lakeland-Winter Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Phosphate mining, citrus, medicine and cattle industries are the major sources of economy in this city. Tourism is also growing as visitors can hike through the wilderness, enjoy the art walk, visit the Polk Museum of Art, visit Frank Lloyd Wright Museum, enjoy the ambience of beaches and various other activities.
If you are planning to visit Lakeland Florida, you need to first find out the transportation facilities available. Transportation in Lakeland Florida includes roadway and airway infrastructure.
Talking about airports in Lakeland Florida, there is only one international airport known as Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL) that offers commercial flights to and from the city. At present there are no commercial operations at this airport so, travellers can use Tampa International Airport (TPA) as an alternative.
With the basic introduction, let’s explore airports in Lakeland Florida including technical information, infrastructure, airlines, and destinations.
Table of Contents
Airports in Lakeland Florida
There is one major airport in Lakeland Florida which is known as Lakeland Linder International Airport. Besides, there is a popular nearby airport to Lakeland Florida which is Tampa International Airport. People can use this airport to reach Lakeland however, they need to take 50 minutes drive.
| AIRPORT NAME | DISTANCE FROM LAKELAND FLORIDA | ESTIMATED DRIVING TIME |
| Lakeland Linder International Airport | 6.9 miles | 16 minutes |
| Tampa International Airport (Nearby Airport to Lakeland Florida) | 43.5 miles | 49 minutes |
| Winter Haven Regional Airport (Nearby Airport to Lakeland Florida) | 14 miles | 25 minutes |
Note: The distance and driving time are taken from Google Maps including the fastest route with the usual traffic.
Lakeland Linder International Airport
Lakeland Linder Int’l Airport (ICAO: KLAL, IATA: LAL, FAA LID: LAL) is one of the airports in Lakeland Florida that is situated at an elevation of 142 ft (43 m) above mean sea level (AMSL). It is owned and operated by the City of Lakeland.
LAL is categorized as an alternative airport for Tampa International Airport. At present, there are no commercial flights operating from this airport.
LAL Runway
Lakeland Linder Int’l Airport covers a total area of 1,710 acres (692 ha) and features three runways; Rwy 10/38, Rwy 5/23 and Rwy 8/26.
| RUNWAY DESIGNATION | DIMENSION | SURFACE |
| 10/28 | 8,500 ft by 150 ft | Asphalt |
| 5/23 | 5,005 ft by 150 ft | Asphalt |
| 8/26 | 2,205 ft by 60 ft | Turf |
Airlines and Destinations
Lakeland Linder Int’l Airport is currently seeking air service as there are no commercial airlines operating from the airport at the moment.
Amazon Air is the only airline that operates cargo flights to cities including Chicago-O’Hare, Allentown/Bethlehem, Austin, Hartford, Houston-Intercontinental, Kansas City, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, San Francisco, Sacramento, Spokane, Toledo, Richmond, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Ontario and New York-JFK from Lakeland.
LAL Technical Information
| ICAO CODE | KLAL |
| IATA CODE | LAL |
| FAA LID | LAL |
| ELEVATION | 142 ft (43 m) |
| AREA | 1,710 acres (692 ha) |
| RUNWAY | 10/28 (8,500 ft by 150 ft) – Asphalt Surface5/23 (5,005 ft by 150 ft) – Asphalt Surface8/26 (2,205 ft by 150 ft) – Turf Surface |
Tampa International Airport (ICAO: KTPA, IATA: TPA, FAA LID: TPA)
Tampa Int’l Airport (TPA) is not located in Lakeland Florida however, it is one of the nearest international airports in Lakeland Florida after Lakeland Linder Int’l Airport. Tampa is the only choice if you are planning to visit Lakeland because Linder Int’l Airport doesn’t offer commercial flights at the moment.
TPA resides at an elevation of 26 ft (8 m) AMSL and serves Tampa Bay Area. It is also a primary hub for Breeze Airways and Frontier Airlines.
TPA Runway and Terminal Information
Tampa Int’l Airport features three runways with the designation Rwy 10/28, Rwy 19L/1R and Rwy 19R/1L.
| RUNWAY DESIGNATION | DIMENSION | SURFACE |
| 10/28 | 6,999 ft by 150 ft | Asphalt/Concrete |
| 19L/1R | 8,300 ft by 150 ft | Asphalt/Concrete |
| 19R/1L | 11,002 ft by 150 ft | Concrete |
Talking about the terminal infrastructure, TPA features a Landside/Airside Terminal with four active airside categorized as letter A, C, E and F. There are a total of 59 gates available in the terminal.
Airside A holds Gates 1-12 and Gates 14-18, Airside C accommodates Gates 30-45, Airside E holds gates 62-75 whereas Airside F has Gates 76-90.
Airlines and Destinations
| AIRLINES | DESTINATIONS |
| Alaska Airlines | Seattle/Tacoma, Los Angeles |
| Air Canada | Seasonal Flights to Halifax and Ottawa |
| American Airlines | Austin, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Miami, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago O’Hare, Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, Washington, Phoenix-Sky Harbor |
| Avelo Airlines | New Haven |
| Breeze Airways | Tulsa, Akron/Canton, Columbus, Huntsville, Louisville, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Richmond, Charleston |
| British Airways | Gatwick (London) |
| Cayman Airways | Grand Cayman |
| Copa Airlines | Panama City |
| Delta Air Lines | Salt Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Raleigh/Durham |
| Edelweiss Air | Seasonal flights to Zurich |
| Eurowings Discover | Frankfurt |
| Frontier Airlines | Las Vegas, Long Island/Islip, Trenton, LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Chicago-O’Hare, Boston, Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago-Midway, Dallas Fort/Worth, Denver |
| Havana Air | Havana |
| JetBlue | Boston, JFK (New York), LaGuardia (New York), Province, Hartford, Newark, Cancun |
| Silver Airways | Fort Lauderdale, Charleston, Jacksonville, Key West, Pensacola, Savannah, Nassau |
| Southwest Airlines | Major Domestic routes across the United States |
| Spirit Airlines | Major Domestic Destinations across the United States |
| Sun Country Airlines | Minneapolis/St. Paul |
| United Airlines | San Francisco, Washington-Dulles, Los Angeles, Newark, Chicago-O’Hare, Denver, Houston-Intercontinental |
| WestJet | Toronto |
TPA Technical Information
| ICAO CODE | KTPA |
| IATA CODE | TPA |
| FAA LID | TPA |
| ELEVATION | 26 ft (8 m) AMSL |
| AREA | 3,300 acres (1,300 ha) |
| RUNWAY | 10/28 (6,999 ft by 150 ft) – Asphalt/Concrete Surface19L/1R (8,300 ft by 150 ft) – Asphalt/Concrete Surface19R/1L (11,002 ft by 150 ft) – Concrete Surface |
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Winter Haven’s Gilbert Airport
Winter Haven’s Gilbert Airport (ICAO: KGIF, IATA: GIF, FAA LID: GIF) is also among the airports in Lakeland Florida situated at an elevation of 145 ft (44 m) AMSL. The airport is owned by the City of Winter Haven and serves the Winter Haven Region in Florida.
GIF is a public-use airport that covers a total area of 520 acres (210 ha) and features two asphalt runways with the designation 5/23 and 11/29.
| RUNWAY DESIGNATION | DIMENSION | SURFACE |
| 5/23 | 5,005 ft by 100 ft | Asphalt |
| 11/29 | 4,001 ft by 60 ft | Asphalt |
GIF Technical Information
| ICAO CODE | KGIF |
| IATA CODE | GIF |
| FAA LID | GIF |
| ELEVATION | 145 ft (44 m) AMSL |
| AREA | 520 acres (210 ha) |
| RUNWAY | 5/23 (5,005 ft by 100 ft) – Asphalt Surface11/29 (4,001 ft by 60 ft) – Asphalt Surface |
Conclusion
Lakeland Linder International Airport is one of the major airports in Lakeland Florida. This airport is not operating commercial flights at the moment as it is seeking service from airlines. Due to this region, Tampa Int’l Airport (TPA) is the best option to reach Lakeland.
TPA is 43.5 miles away from Lakeland Florida and offers scheduled commercial flights operated by major airlines of the United States connecting to almost every domestic destination.
Some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What airport do you fly into for Lakeland Florida?
Lakeland Linder Int’l Airport (LAL) is the nearest int’l airport in Lakeland however, there are no commercial flights operated recently as the airport is seeking service from airlines. For this reason, the nearby Tampa International Airport (TPA) is the best alternative to fly into Lakeland Florida.
What airlines fly in and out of Lakeland Airport?
At present, there are no passenger airlines operating flights from Lakeland Linder Int’l Airport (LAL). Only Amazon Air operates cargo flights to and from the Lakeland Airport.
Does Lakeland have an international Airport?
Yes, Lakeland features an international airport known as Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL).
