New Hampshire Airports Full Review — Maps and Travel Information

Manchester–Boston Regional Airport (MHT)

How Many Airports are There in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire is a small state with a few airports. There are 56 airports in the state, 32 of which are private. In the public sector, there is only one international airport and 3 commercial airports in New Hampshire serving flights on a constant basis.

Meanwhile, other aeronautical transportation is quite popular in New Hampshire. The state has 118 airports for helicopters and 10 bases for seaplanes. Panoramic flights on different types of aircraft are in high demand in NH.

In total, a bit less than 2 M people visit or leave New Hampshire airports annually. This equates to 0.11% of the summary air passenger traffic of the USA. Domestic destinations are usually more popular than foreign ones. Manchester—Boston Regional Airport (MHT), the state’s largest airport, connects the state to various cities around the United States. The airport welcomed over 1.6 M travelers in 2019. Its timing precision for departures is quite high (83.87%) and on an average level for arrivals (77.89%).

Lebanon Municipal Airport (LEB) is the smallest one on the New Hampshire airports map. It’s regular yearly traffic is 10,000 passengers, many of whom prefer the airport to the more congested Boston Airport in Massachusetts.

Regional Airports

Though regional airports with the New Hampshire airports code aren’t the most visited ones in the country, they have everything you need for a comfortable stay and boarding. Many airports offer charter flights, scenic flights, lounge rooms and hotels, cafes, and restaurants. 24/7 fueling services, hangar rental for a short and long period, long runways, and, in many cases, control towers are available here.

5 Major Airports in New Hampshire

1. Manchester—Boston Regional Airport (MHT). In 2020, MHT operated as a landing and takeoff point for 634,841 travelers. Four airlines offer non-stop flights to 11 cities located in 6 U.S. states.
2. Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM). PSM is a sole representative of international airports in New Hampshire, serving foreign destinations to the military only. Allegiant Air transports passengers to 5 cities in 3 U.S. states.
3. Lebanon Municipal Airport (LEB). LEB had a total of 2,660 air passengers in 2020. A single carrier, Cape Air, provides daily flights to Boston, MA and White Planes, NY. Charter services, scenic flights are also offered at the airport.
4. Mount Washington Regional Airport (HIE). This is one of the most popular airports in New Hampshire for charter flights. They provide panoramic flights in highlands. Small and medium-sized planes typically fly to this airport, which has a 4,000-foot asphalt runway.
5. Dillant-Hopkins Airport (EEN). Once an airport with scheduled flights, EEN currently works primarily for general aviation. It has two runways, 4,000 ft and 6,200 ft long, the latter being the 3rd longest in the state.

What Airlines Fly to New Hampshire?

If you plan to land at one of New Hampshire airports, you can choose the aircraft of the following carriers:

American Airlines
Allegiant Air
Cape Air
United Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Southwest Airlines

Most Popular Destinations

The most popular destination for travelers booking flights to airports in New Hampshire is Boston, Massachusetts. Though, many travelers look for NH airports as alternatives to the direct Boston flight. Destinations located in NH are ranked by popularity as follows:

Manchester (95% of online queries)
Lebanon (5% of searches mention this city as a destination)

New Hampshire Aviation History

The first flight in New Hampshire’s air space was performed in 1911 by Harry Nelson Atwood. He piloted the aircraft made by Burgess company, the first aircraft constructor in the United States. The flight began in Waltham and continued to several NH cities, including Manchester, Nashua, and Concord. Throughout his flight, Harry Atwood made loops around each city hall. He was accompanied by passengers—newspaper reporters. The flight broke all New England territorial records for duration and distance.

The first aircraft registered in New Hampshire belonged to Captain Robert S. Fogg and Willis D. Thompson Jr. The aircraft arrived in 1920 and was piloted by Captain Fogg frequently. In 1927, he performed the first commercial flight to Vermont from Concord airport, the oldest among New Hampshire airports, carrying mail on board. He was also the first pilot to take off from the newly built Manchester airport in 1927.