A Visual History of the World's Great Airports
  • Airports
  • Blog
  • About
  • Digital Library

Blue Concourse

The Airport History Blog

10 amazing vintage ATC tower views!

26/8/2022

 
The Zurich Airport ATC Tower in 1969
We hope you have enjoyed, or are still enjoying, a fine summer! It's time to start things up again for the new season!

​Today, we want to bring you some great vintage ATC tower views from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s!
1. Philadelphia International Airport
The Philadelphia International Airport ATC tower in the 1950s
An amazing 1950s image of Philadelphia's air traffic control tower. The tower was opened in 1953, together with the passenger terminal. In the early years, the tower had a staff of 54, controlling about 700 daily departures and arrivals. Image credit: Philadelphia International Airport

See more great images of PHL in the early years.
2. Los Angeles International Airport
The LAX ATC tower in 1960
The old LAX control tower in 1960. This tower was replaced in 1961 when a new control tower opened as part of a new Jet-Age passenger terminal complex. That tower, in turn, was replaced in 1996. Image credit: LAWA

​Read more about LAX in the 1960s.
3. Hong Kong Kai Tak International Airport
The Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport ATC tower in 1962
A 1962 shot from the tower of the legendary Kai Tak Airport. 

Kai Tak was closed on July 6th, 1998, when the runway lights were turned off for the last time from the tower.  Image credit: HKISD

See some amazing images of Kai Tak airport in the 1960s.
4. Washington Dulles Airport
Washington Dulles Airport ATC tower in 1962
A view of the Dulles Airport tower in 1962. Opened on November 17, 1962, Dulles didn't come into its own until the 1980s, when United established IAD as a hub.

​Before that time, controllers had plenty of time to enjoy the fabulous view of the Virginia countryside. ​Image credit: Library of Congress
5. London Heathrow Airport 
Heathrow's Air Traffic Control tower in the 1960s
Heathrow's air traffic control tower in the 1960s. A properly dressed, civilized bunch! Image credit: UK CAA Archives via Peter Bish

Read about Heathrow's early plans to build additional runways.

​Read here how Heathrow's Terminal 4 could have ended up in the location of Terminal 5.
6. New York John F. Kennedy Airport
JFK Airport's ATC tower in 1968
Controllers are trying to keep order during the summer of 1968, when congestion at JFK reached never-seen-before levels. Image credit: New York Post

Read more about the infamous summer of 1968 at JFK Airport.
7. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport's ATC tower in 1968
Controllers are overlooking Schiphol's platform, ca. 1968. The view is toward what is now the D Pier. Image credit: Schiphol Airport via Michael Prophet

See some great nostalgic images of the KLM 747. Understand why Schiphol built the infamous runway in the middle of nowhere.
Want more stunning airport photos & stories?
​Sign up to our newsletter below to knwo when new content goes online!
8. ​Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
CVG's ATC tower in 1969
Cincinnati's controllers are looking out over the airport's boarding concourse. Image credit: CVG Airport
9. Zurich Kloten Airport
Zurich Kloten Airport's ATC tower in 1969
Zurich's tower in 1969. Image credit: ETH Library

See more amazing images from Zurich Airport's early years.
10. Frankfurt Airport
Frankfurt Airport's ATC tower in 1972
The Frankfurt Airport tower in 1972, shortly after the opening of the new "Terminal Mitte" in March that year. ​Image credit: Frankfurt Airport

Read more about the design and early years of Terminal Mitte.
Bonus: Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
MSP's ATC tower in the 1970s
A controller is observing the takeoff of a Northwest Orient 727-200 on a rainy day at MSP, sometime during the 1970s. Image credit: Metropolitan Airport Commission 
More airport articles: Click here
Want more stunning airport photos & stories?
​Sign up to our newsletter below to knwo when new content goes online!
Michael Simpson
3/9/2022 04:38:57

My guess is PVD (Providence - T.F. Green).

Juan Martin
3/9/2022 05:37:22

My guess is Plattsburgh New York

Bill Hough
3/9/2022 11:40:53

It has to be Providence unless we're counting VA as part of the northeast.

JOHN Gregory RINALDI
5/9/2022 03:15:44

BOS

William Hough
3/9/2022 11:33:08

Could you please check the date on the LAX tower caption. I thought the "new" tower opened circa 1961, not 1968.

Max Groot
3/9/2022 11:42:08

Hi William, that was a typo. Thanks for catching that! I just made the correction.

Kenneth Klemczewski
3/9/2022 12:13:32

Looks like I'm the third vote for PVD

Siegfried Lenz link
3/9/2022 15:47:54

Thanks for the great views. It's interesting to see that earlier towers cabs did not sport radar screens. The LHR controllers have an interesting "inward" seating layout.

Richard link
3/9/2022 17:38:27

Looks like LGA

John Spillane
3/9/2022 19:52:11

BOSTON BOS

Toni
4/9/2022 11:39:38

Hello AirportHistory. Such a great photo-article. We can have a glimpse on what those places used to look like. And what a huge number of planes at JFK! Congrats on this beautiful article.

Pedro Pollan
4/9/2022 14:22:05

I think the airport is Oslo Fornebu.

Reed Hume
6/9/2022 21:04:34

Newark


Comments are closed.
    With a title inspired by the setting of the iconic 70s film "Airport", this blog is the ultimate destination for airport history fans.

    Categories

    All
    Aerial Evolution
    Anniversaries
    Books
    Design Explained
    Fascinating Statistics
    Featured Photos
    Fictional Airports
    Never Built
    Other
    Popular Culture
    Story Behind The Image
    Then & Now
    Unique Finds

    RSS Feed

    About me

    Marnix (Max) Groot Founder of AirportHistory.org. Max is an airport development expert and historian.

    Learn more about Max


Copyright disclaimer
Contact us
  • Airports
  • Blog
  • About
  • Digital Library