Francis International Airport in GTA III Era
| Francis International Airport | |
|---|---|
| |
| Information | |
| Appearances | |
| Owner | City of Liberty |
| Location | Shoreside Vale |
| In use | 1953 – present |
| Hub for | |
| Website | Francis International Airport website |
Francis International Airport (FIA), also simply known as Francis International by the LCPD dispatcher, is an airport situated in the GTA III Era rendition of Liberty City, specifically in southern Shoreside Vale. The airport had made frequent appearances where Liberty City is used as a primary or secondary setting, including Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto Advance and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, as well as a cameo in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The airport is also called Liberty International Airport based on one sign located at the rear of the airport terminal.
Description
The official website of GTA III[1] offers a brief insight into the airport's history and facilities:
Liberty City's Gateway To The World. Where we meet new friends and prodigal sons. Francis International has proudly served all of Liberty City's transportation needs since 1953. For the executive traveler, relax in our business class lounge, or enjoy a pre-flight drink in DODO'S, our cocktail lounge. With hundreds of shops and services, Francis International is airport to the stars. 100's of national and international destinations served including: London, San Andreas, Vice City, Miami, Bogota, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Toronto, Leith and Tokyo. Fares Starting as Low as $69 Each Way.
FIA does not have a single inspiration for its design, incorporating an original terminal design (the frontal terminal building is a largely unadorned, blocky structure), as well as featuring an extension similar to Los Angeles International's Theme Building. Francis International is also connected to the Liberty City Subway, via a stop located southeast of the main terminal and an adjoining square that features a sculpture bearing the following inscription: "For those who fought for freedom 1936".
A fire station is situated near the entrance to the rear of the airport, as such, a Fire Truck is always available from there. Opposite is a car park which has various spawned cars. The infamous half-winged Dodo is also in one of the hangars and next to a helipad, notorious for it's level of skill required of the player to actually fly it.
As usual, the airport is also depicted in the Grand Theft Auto Advance rendition of Liberty City. The player can still access the tarmac of the airport, which is dotted with low textured props of planes similar to the Boeing 747 and a full-winged Dodo, but will be unable to enter the runways.
Roles in other games
The airport's interior makes a brief appearance in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, when it is featured during the first cutscene of the game. While the interior is found to be situated in the Hidden Interiors Universe, the location also comes with an unused exterior of the airport with a roadway, appearing to resemble the airport's exterior in Grand Theft Auto III.
Trivia
- The square's statue dons a traffic cone on its head in GTA III. The only way to get it off is to a launch an RPG at the head, and the cone will blow up. However, it will reappear the next time you return to the statue.
- The pre-flight bar is called DODO's, a reference to the half-winged Dodo parked in the airports runway.
- The FIA's main terminal is reused in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories in the form of the northern extension for the Escobar International Airport in Vice City. Likewise, the building model of the Theme Building segment was recycled for Los Santos International.
Gallery
- GTA III
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The airport's official logo.
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The statue and square close to the nearby subway station, with Staunton Island in view.
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Entrance to the Francis International Airport subway station.
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The rear design of the airport, as viewed from its tarmac towards the northeast.
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A Liberty City Fire Department fire station adjoining the airport.
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Aerial view of the airport carpark.
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An Airtrain landing at one of FIA's runway.
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An advertising in Staunton of the airport, promoting a trip to Miami with the motto "See You In Miami".
- GTA San Andreas
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The front terminal of the FIA in GTA San Andreas. The interior can be seen through the bottom floor windows.
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Interior of the airport in GTA SA.
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The arrival flights in the GTA San Andreas depiction of the airport.
- GTA Advance
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The airport's runway, depicting small airplanes resembling full-winged Dodos.
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The airport's runway, depicting a larger commercial jetliner.
- GTA Liberty City Stories
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The main terminal.
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View of the airport's tarmac area.
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Avery Carrington exiting Francis International during "Panlantic Land Grab".
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The hangar where the corpse of Avery Carrington is brought to in "Morgue Party Resurrection" in GTA Liberty City Stories.
See also
Reference
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