Erie International Airport Tom Ridge Field is a public airport southwest of Erie, in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Airline service at Erie faces stiff competition from the Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Toronto airports, all within three hours of Erie by car. In 2004, Erie was the third-fastest-growing airport in the United States, and the fastest-growing airport in Pennsylvania. It is from Pittsburgh, from the Canada–U.S. border, from Cleveland, Ohio and from Buffalo, New York. The airport is named for former Pennsylvania governor, former United States Secretary of Homeland Security, and Erie native Tom Ridge. History History In 1924, Roger Griswold purchased of land west of Erie at the intersection of West Lake and Asbury Roads for use as an airfield. Soon after, a flight training school was based at the field. In 1927, as part of a nationwide tour by Charles Lindbergh after his transatlantic flight, Erie was selected as one of the cities where Lindbergh would make a brief stopover. Griswold Field proved inadequate for the larger Spirit of St. Louis and an alternative site could not be located, so a flyover by Lindbergh had to suffice. This showed the need for a proper airport and prompted the Erie City Council to consider establishing a municipal airport. City Council was, initially, favoring a site east of Wesleyville for a municipal airport, but Lieutenant Jimmy Doolittle commented on the distance between it and the city; Doolittle noted that "you might as well take 40 minutes more and go on to Cleveland." After recommendations made by Lindbergh to a Congressional committee that no airport less than be approved, the planning commission for Erie's airport began to reevaluate the site. Griswold Field officially closed in 1929 when Griswold moved to Long Island, but aircraft and the flight school continued to use it. That year two airfields were established: one on land next to the former Griswold Field, and another in Kearsarge that is now the site of the Millcreek Mall. American Airlines began the airport's airline service in June 1938; American remained until 1953 when Allegheny replaced it. Mohawk arrived on December 1, 1956 and Lake Central on January 1, 1957; Capital Airlines flights ended in 1960–61. Prior to September 11, 2001, the airport was at its height with US Airways mainline jets to Pittsburgh and international service to Toronto. After 9/11 US Airways replaced 737s and DC-9s with regional jets.