The AirportHistory.org archives contain many of the original master plans for airports like DFW, AMS, JFK, LHR, CDG, LAX, ORD and many, many more. 

They show us how planners of decades past saw the future of aviation. They truly make for fascinating reading.

Today, we will look at how the planners of Frankfurt Airport envisaged the airport's future back in the late 1940s and 1950s.

Some of the development alternatives contain up to six runways and depict some very forward-looking concepts like a linear midfield terminal. Let's have a look!

An aerial view of Frankfurt in 1949 looking east. The first runway (right in picture) was built by the US Army in the summer of 1945. On December 22, 1949, the second parallel runway, shown here at the time of completion, was put into use.

That same year, the US Army transferred the operation of the northern part of the airport to the 'Verkehrsaktiengesellschaft Rhein-Main' (VAG), which would later on become Fraport.

In this proposed four-runway layout two additional north-south runways are added,  including a proposed predecessor of Runway 18/36 "Startbahn West."

This way, the airport would always have two runways aligned with the prevailing winds, an important consideration at the time.

This plan boasts a total of five runways. This layout would have very much constricted development of the passenger terminal and other facilities later on. It's a good thing Frankfurt wasn't expanded this way!

Now it gets interesting! This layout shows a linear midfield passenger terminal (shaded in black), a very advanced concept for the time. The terminal would be directly connected to the local railway system.

At the time, a very similar idea was proposed for the development of nearby Düsseldorf Airport.

However, what the planners had in mind was not a modern boarding concourse as we know them today (see next photo).

A careful read of the 1948 Master Plan reveals that the terminal was to have overhanging roofs, underneath which aircraft could park.

The concept was modeled on "the mother of all airports," Berlin Tempelhof, pictured above. Later on the concept was also used at the Pan Am terminal.

This proposed layout boasted a total of six runways in the shape of three sets of parallel runways.

This proposed layout, produced in the 1950s, shows a third parallel runway​, built to the south of the airport and to be completed by 1970. A similar plan would resurface in the 1990s when Frankfurt was planning its fourth runway.

This plan, prepared in the late 1950s at the dawn of the Jet Age, shows Startbahn West, basically as it would be built decades later. 

Built at 13,123 feet (4,000 meters), runway 18/36 is a long runway. But this plan mentions that the runway could reach a length of up to 16,400 feet (5,000 meters), something which likely can be explained by the airport's function as a strategic NATO airbase at the time.

What do you think? Would Fraport have been better off if it had expanded according to one of the proposed layouts above? Share your thoughts on the plans in the comments below!

​​Our fans frequently ask us to recommend good books on the topic of airport design and airport history. Thus, whenever we feel a book--old or new--is worth your attention, we will post a review here on the Blue Concourse blog.

AIRPORT WAYFINDING

As airports have grown in size and complexity, airport wayfinding systems have become ever more critical in  moving huge amounts of passengers throughout the airport and the passenger terminal in an efficient way.

​Wayfinding systems do more than simply guide travelers from one point in an airport to the next. 

In fact, wayfinding is the visual language used to convey each airport’s unique identity using colors, fonts and pictograms.​

In the book Airport Wayfinding (September 2021), authors Heike Nehl and Sibylle Schlaich, take a deep dive into this fascinating subject.

​They set out decipher the unique identities in the wayfinding systems of over 100 different airports, examining along the way the storied past, present challenges and promising future of wayfinding across the globe.

CONTENTS

The first chapter, Evolving, is a journey through 100 years of airport history. The book looks at how airport typologies have changed during this time and what impact these changes have had on passenger flows and on-site information requirements.

​​The second chapter, Identity, focuses on how airports have become architectural expressions of a country’s character and identity.​

The third chapter, Digital, examines how airports are constantly innovating and integrating the use of digital technology and tools to ensure an excellent passenger experience. 

The final chapter, Beyond, explores the interdependent relationship between airports and the cities and regions they serve. ​

The book contains plenty of case studies, including AMS, BER, CDG, HKG, IAH, JFK, LAX, LHR, SIN, and many others.​

A MUST-HAVE FOR YOUR AIRPORT COLLECTION

Airport Wayfinding is a beautiful and informative book, which explores a fascinating aspect of airport design. With the authors being German, you can count on meticulous research and no stone within the topic being left unturned!

I personally loved the abundance of maps, diagrams, and images--some of which from the AirportHistory.org archives. And this 270-page book contains over 800 illustrations.

​There is also an excellent balance between written text and visual materials, which is not a given in scholarly literature.

Whether you are an airport professional or enthusiast, this book should be part of your collection!

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF AIRPORT OBSERVATION DECKS

Even though flying has become a very common phenomenon, people of all ages still love to come to the airport to watch aircraft and enjoy the airport atmosphere.

There was a time when most major airports offered an outdoor viewing terrace or observation deck.

From the 1970s onward, most of them were closed due to security concerns or to make way for terminal expansion.

There's a few notable exceptions left. Even though it is a fraction of its former size, Amsterdam Schiphol's "Panorama Terrace" is still a fantastic venue. Many airports in Germany and Japan also offer excellent viewing facilities.

In this blog post we take you back to ten super cool airport viewing terraces and decks, some of which are still around today! Don't forget you can click on the images to expand.

1. Zurich Dübendorf & Kloten Airport

The viewing terrace of Zurich Dübendorf Airfield in 1946. Dübendorf functioned as Zurich's main airport between 1919 and 1948.

Zurich Kloten Airport's viewing terrace sometime during the 1960s.

Pier B of ZRH, which was completed in 1975, featured an excellent observation deck. It is pictured here ca. 1982. Between 2008 and 2011, Pier B was completely rebuilt. Thankfully, its replacement also boasts an observation deck over its entire length.

2. Los Angeles International Airport

The Theme Building was the symbol of LAX's new Jet-Age terminal complex. Opened in 1961, it featured a restaurant and an observation deck with sweeping, unobstructed views of the airport and its surroundings. At present, the Theme Building is closed for the public.

3. Frankfurt Airport

The outdoor restaurant at Frankfurt Airport, sometime during the 1950s.

Opened in 1972, Frankfurt's Terminal 1 had an absolutely fantastic observation deck on top of the two star-shaped concourses (Flugsteig B), offering great views of all the action.

The deck was closed in 2006 in order built a new floor on top of the existing structure. There's still is a viewing terrace on top of nearby Terminal 2, but the views are inferior to those offered by T1.

4. Nairobi Embakasi Airport

The observation deck at Nairobi's Embakasi Airport, now Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, sometime during the late 1960s.

​In 1978, passenger traffic was moved to a new new complex on the far side of the airport. No new viewing facilities were provided.

​Kansai International Airport (KIX) is the world’s first ocean airport, built on a landfill island in Osaka Bay, Japan. Opened in 1994, KIX was a modern engineering marvel, built entirely as an artificial island.

The project is not entirely without its problems; the island has been subsiding much quicker than was originally anticipated. 

In this post we present you a series of fantastic images showing how Kansai Airport evolved over the years.

BACKGROUND

Osaka's original international airport, Itami Airport, located in the densely populated suburbs of Itami and Toyonaka, was surrounded by buildings. It could not be expanded and many of its neighbors had filed complaints because of noise pollution problems.

After the protests surrounding New Tokyo International Airport (now Narita International Airport), which was built with expropriated land in a rural part of Chiba Prefecture, planners decided to build the airport offshore on an artificial island. 

The size of the island would be 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) and 1.6 miles (2.5 kilometers) wide. The island would not only have to provide a solid foundation for the airport facilities but also be able to withstand the risks of typhoons, waves and earthquakes.

Construction of Kansai Airport started in 1987. First, a sea wall made of rock and 48,000 tetrapods was built and completed in 1989. Then the seabed, located at 60 feet (18 meters) below sea level, was strengthened.

This image shows the state of affairs in 1990, after the area within the sea wall was filled with layer upon layer of earth. ​Construction engineers dredged soil from Osaka Bay, quarried more from nearby mountains and even barged it in from China and Korea to build up the layers. 

At several stages of the work to heap new soil on the seabed, operations paused to allow the new level to consolidate and sink. As the dredging and filling continued, the added layers reached up to 65 feet (20) above sea level.​

Note the outline of the future terminal, which is clearly visible (middle). Construction of the terminal started in in 1991.

By 1993, the airport was clearly taking shape.  Construction of the airport facilities was carried out in 38 months by 6,000 workers.

An early 1994 image of the nearly completed airport. Centerpiece of Kansai Airport is the Renzo Piano-designed passenger terminal, whose roof is shaped like an airfoil. This shape helped to naturally cool the building.

A fantastic image showing the completed airport, just before opening on September 4, 1994.

​The 2.3-mile (3,750-meter) bridge connects the island to the mainland at Rinku Town. The bridge was completed in 1990 at a cost of USD 1 billion.

An aerial view of Terminal 1 shortly after opening. With a length of 1.1 miles (1.7 kilometers), it is the longest terminal building in the world. Unlike its predecessor in the city, Kansai is open 24 hours a day.

The construction of the seawall for Kansai's Phase 2 expansion was nearly complete in this November 2001 image.

This October 2005 image shows completion of the landfill and the foundation for the second runway.

Initially, Kansai’s islands were predicted to evenly settle--or as engineers say, "subside"--over a 50-year period before stabilizing at 13 feet (4 meters) above sea level.

That’s the minimum elevation required to prevent flooding in case a breach develops in an encircling seawall. However, portions of the first island created reached that threshold within six years.

​At least USD 150 million was spent to raise the seawall, but some engineers predict that by 2056, sections of the two artificial islands may sink 13 more feet to sea level.

The second runway was opened in August 2007. This image was taken in 2014, after completion of Terminal 2 (completed 2012) and the FedEx hub (2014).

A close up view of Terminal 2, which is dedicated to low-cost airlines. The terminal was expanded in 2017.

In September 2018, Kansai Airport was flooded due to Typhoon Jebi, the most powerful storm to hit Japan in 25 years. At the height of the storm, 16-foot (5-meter) waves spilled over the sea wall.

In 2019 a three-year project began to raise the height of the seawalls and to raise the elevation of the 11,500-foot (3,500-meter) runway by 3.3 feet (1 meter) by using asphalt. 

It's clear that the island's subsidence, coupled with climate change poses a great challenge for Kansai Airport in the medium and long term. Despite this, the project stands as a great feat of engineering. The expertise gained with building Kansai has been utilized to prevent future problems with newer sea airports such as Centrair (Nagoya) and Kobe airports.

​What are your thoughts about Kansai Airport? Leave your comments below!

I want to extend a warm thank you to Bruno Ekberg for making available the KIX brochure for download!

Did you know that Vancouver International Airport was almost built at a completely different location? As "YVR" celebrates its 90th birthday this month, guest author Solomon Wong tells us the brief story of Vancouver's planned main airport at Spanish Banks.

'NO FIT FIELD TO FLY ON'

The current Vancouver International Airport opened on Sea Island on July 22, 1931. Prior to this location of YVR, it was 2 km east on Lulu Island (Richmond) next to the Lansdowne race track (now a shopping centre).

In 1929, Charles Lindbergh most infamously refused to fly to Vancouver because there was “no fit field to land on,” prompting a search for a new site. Ultimately, Sea Island became the choice, where YVR is located to this day.

​Many have written about the birth of YVR on its current site, but few people know about the alternate reality where the nearby Spanish Banks could have been the site for Vancouver’s airport.  

Image credit: Google Earth

SEA TO SKY

Spanish Banks is a beach area immediately north of the University of British Columbia and represents the quintessential “sea-to-sky” experience of Vancouver: beachfront, water, snowcapped mountains and forests (see image below).

VISION FROM AN AVIATION PIONEER

The visionary behind the proposal submitted in 1928 to the City of Vancouver was Donald Roderick MacLaren, one of the foremost Canadian aviation pioneers.

​Before he would become the first employee of Trans Canada Airlines, the predecessor of Air Canada, MacLaren founded Pacific Airways Limited at Vancouver in 1924, carrying out fishery patrols and aerial surveys for the Government of Canada.

​Pacific Airways also started commercial air services between Seattle’s South Lake Union, Victoria, Vancouver and other coastal communities.

The plan at Spanish Banks was a two-phase airport and seaplane base, complete with hangars, taxi stands, customs facilities and fencing lit at night.  Phasing for a future airship field would be in place to the west of the site, with three runways of roughly 2,000 feet (600 meters) in length each.  

The concept to build airports on beach sides close to downtown was actually quite similar to airports like New York's LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy that would be developed over the next two decades.

AN ECLECTIC MIX OF AVIATION AND LEISURE

The brochure and plan was unique for a number of recreational amenities immediately adjacent to the airport. A 20,000-person stadium, beaches, children’s bathing channel, swimming pool, winter gardens and a planned park all evoked a destination for visitors in addition to aviation activities. Perhaps air shows were contemplated to have stadium seating for plane spotting?

Cost-wise, the total project was estimated at CAD 3.1 million in 1928 dollars, roughly CAD 50 million today (approximately USD 40 million).  The proposal was actually approved by the Municipality of Point Grey:

On May 8, 1928, The Vancouver Sun newspaper reported its councilors voted five to three to approve a proposal by Vancouver Terminals Ltd. “to convert the residential area facing Spanish Banks into a highly industrialized area with terminal railway facilities, airport and wharves. 

However, the proposal, including the airport plan did not materialize.​ That same year, the Sea Island site was selected by Vancouver Mayor William H. Malkin and the Vancouver Board of Trade.

​A good decision in hindsight: in order to accommodate modern day traffic levels, the Spanish Bank Airport would have to be expanded using expensive land reclamation, occupying a big part of the Burrard Inlet.

​The current Sea Island site was farther from the city, but land was abundant, cheaper, and also adjacent to a waterway suitable for seaplanes. Vancouver is one of the few airports in the world which still has room to add terminals and runways, ensuring its future role as Canada's Pacific Gateway.

​Happy Sea Island Birthday to YVR! ​

Solomon Wong was born and raised in Vancouver and is an enthusiast for never-built ideas.  An urban planner by training, he heads a consulting firm InterVISTAS working on market, strategy, planning and digital transformation projects worldwide.

Would you like to guest-author an article about your favorite airport, built or unbuilt? Drop us a line!

​On July 1st, 1981, 40 years ago, Singapore Changi Airport opened for traffic. The airport went on to become a consistent favorite with travelers, winning the "World's Best Airport" title for eight years in a row (2013-2020). 

In a larger context, Changi Airport has played a pivotal role in cementing Singapore's role as a regional hub of trade and commerce.

In this short article, we will show you a few rare images from the airport's planning phase and very early years of operation. You might learn a thing or two about your favorite airport that you didn't know before!

THE NEED FOR A NEW AIRPORT

As the Singaporean economy rapidly grew in the 1960s, traffic at Paya Lebar Airport, the nation-state's only civil airport, boomed as well.

Even though Paya Lebar was opened as recently as 1955, by the early 1970s, it became clear that the airport could not accommodate Singapore's long-term air traffic needs; due to urban encroachment, the airport, which only had one runway, could not expand and noise issues were becoming an increasing concern.

As a result, in 1975, the Singaporean government took the decision to build a brand-new airport that could serve the country's needs well into the 21st century. 

The airport would be built at the far eastern tip of the island, which was already the site of Changi Airbase. After completion of the new airport, Paya Lebar would be converted to a military air base.

A very rare 1958 color image of Changi Airbase--then called RAF Changi--whose origins date back to World War II. The new airport would be built east of the base (to the left of the image) and bear its name. A total of 200 hectares of swamp land would need to be cleared, and 870 hectares of land needed to be reclaimed from the sea.

The great advantage of the location was that both landings and takeoffs would be over water. The main runway visible in the image would become the future airport's western runway.

An extremely rare document: the original 1976 Master Plan for the future Changi Airport. The master plan envisaged two parallel runways, which would make Changi only one of a handful of civil airports in the Asia Pacific region to have two runways.

The master plan envisaged three passenger terminals, each boasting a capacity of 10 million annual passengers. The plan even had a strategic reservation for a future Terminal 4. With the wisdom of hindsight, we now know that was no luxury!

Another unique image: a 1976 model of Changi's future passenger terminal area in its final buildout. The terminal layout shown here was not far off from what ended up being built. 

A major difference with the model is that in the 1990s, piers were added to Terminal 2, and the piers of Terminal 1 were extended. This was due to transfer traffic being much higher than anticipated, leading to an increased need for aircraft gates.

Another difference is that in the model the terminals are connected by means of pedestrian bridges. Instead of this, an Automated People Mover (APM) was built.

Construction is in full swing in this aerial view, taken in early 1980. Sea-fill and earth fill started in April 1976 and were completed by May 1977. The foundation stone for Terminal 1 was laid in August 1979. 

​At one point, more than 2,500 workers were employed at the site. The total construction cost of Phase 1 was SGD 1.3 billion (USD 964 million)--a hefty sum, let alone 40 years ago!

​An aerial image of Changi Airport's Terminal 1, ca. 1984. Terminal 1 had an annual capacity of 10 million passengers and featured 22 gates equipped with passenger boarding bridges, a luxury only found at a few airports in Asia at the time.

​In 1982, its first full year of operation, Changi Airport handled 8.6 million passengers and 217,000 tonnes of cargo. By 2019, this had grown to a whopping 68.3 million passengers and 2.01 million tonnes of cargo.

An early 1980s interior view of the check-in hall in Terminal 1. The terminal featured six check-in islands and 120 check-in counters.

Terminal 1 had 32 shops and seven food and beverage outlets--a good number for a large, modern airport terminal at the time, but not by today's standards where food and beverage has become the money maker for airports. Today there are 140 F&B outlets serving up various cuisines across all four terminals.

A 1981 exterior view of the newly-built Terminal 1, which at the time cost SGD 250 million (USD 185 million) to build. In 1981, Changi handled 6,888,000 passengers.

An aerial of Changi Airport, taken ca. 1986, showcasing its orderly, master planned layout. In the middle of the image, earthworks are underway for the construction of Terminal 2. Are you able to spot the remnants of the old RAF Changi?

Another view of Terminal 1 during rush hour. To the right we can see the Mylar Cord Waterfall that “rained down” in Terminal 1 for 31 years, until it was replaced in 2012 with the Kinetic Rain installation.

Passengers awaiting their flight at one of the gates. Changi Airport's signage was also inspired by that of Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport--but whereas Schiphol has the yellow bright signs with black letters, this was inverted for Changi.

A 1986 view, looking northwest towards Terminal 1. Changi was only the third airport in the Asia Pacific region to feature an aircraft taxiway bridge. Which airports had them first, you ask? You can find out the answer here! 

​​What are your thoughts about Singapore's Changi Airport? Leave your comments below!

I want to extend a special thanks to Hein Baijer for making available the NACO materials.

Did you know Düsseldorf Airport's first modern Master Plan envisaged up to six runways? Read all about it below!

Düsseldorf International Airport is Germany's third busiest airport after Frankfurt and Munich. In 2019, the airport handled over 25 million passengers.

Despite having a larger catchment area than Frankfurt and Munich, the airport's development potential has been limited.

Düsseldorf has two parallel runways. However, the runways are close to each other and cannot be used independently. In addition, use of the parallel runway is capped due to political restrictions.

Things could have looked very much different...

A MIDFIELD TERMINAL COMPLEX

In 1952, two years after Düsseldorf Airport had been returned to civil authorities, the airport asked NACO Netherlands Airport Consultants B.V. to prepare a Master Plan for the airport's long-term development.

As shown in the images below, NACO envisaged that an entirely new passenger terminal complex would be built north of the main runway. Later on, a new independent parallel runway would be built, putting the new passenger terminal at the heart of the airport.

The above artist's impression shows a possible layout of the midfield terminal, indicating a linear mile-long boarding concourse with aircraft parked on either side under an overhead canopy, and what looks like a headhouse or processor located at the bottom left.

The concept is really very contemporary for 1952 and is reminiscent of the once planned Westside Terminal at DFW. The current passenger terminal is located where the four hangars are visible (left).

SIX RUNWAYS

​​Finally, as shown above, a fourth runway--which somehow looks like Düsseldorf's version of FRA's Startbahn West--would be added, providing the airport with two pairs of parallel runways. 

But it didn't stop there. As shown below, the plan had a provision to add two more runways, raising the total number of runways to six.

​One of the main runways could be lengthened to over 15,000 feet (4,500 meters)--an amazing length even now, let alone in the days before jets!

However, instead the airport chose to further develop the south side of the airport.
A second parallel runway opened in 1992 but was built close to the existing runway. In order to get it built concessions had to be made restricting its use.

And the rest as they say is airport history!

What if these plans would have been executed? Could Düsseldorf Airport have played a much more prominent role in Germany and Europe than it does today?

We want to hear from our fans and local experts. Leave your comments below!

We hope you enjoyed this little blast from the past! ​There's a LOT more where that came from so make sure you sign up for the newsletter to know when new content goes online!

Following last week's very popular Memphis post, we want to share some more very rare images with you, this time of Portland International Airport in 1963.

They were part of the same batch as the Memphis images. This time it concerns all exterior shots. There is relatively little historical material on "PDX" out there from the early days--let alone in full color--with the exception of the obligatory postcard.

Even if it's just a few images, they are so unique that we thought it was worth a little standalone post. Now, let's have a look! You can click the images to enlarge.

An exterior view of Portland's terminal building, which opened in 1959. The terminal cost USD 4.25 million and  took two years to build.

A view of the airport parking lot taken from the airport control tower. Parking was a breeze in those days!

A ramp view looking toward the terminal building. A Northwest DC-4 is parked at the concourse. Other major operators at PDX were United Airlines, Western Airlines, and West Coast Airlines, the last of which served local feeder routes. I just love those ramp lights!

A view of the northern concourse, which was used by United Airlines. Later on in the 1960s the concourses were fitted with boarding bridges.

We end with this view looking west toward the southern concourse. This concourse was completely rebuilt in 1973.

We hope you enjoyed these vintage images of Portland Airport. There's a LOT more where that came from so make sure you sign up for the newsletter to know when new content goes online!

If you're interested in purchasing large, high-quality versions of some of the images above, then please visit the AirportHistory Digital Library.

During our recent digs in the AirportHistory.org archives, we stumbled upon a  batch of amazing images of Memphis Airport's brand new Jet-Age terminal, taken shortly after its opening in 1963. Better still, most of the images are in full color!

For this blog post, we want to show you a selection of these ultra-rare images. Now, without further ado, let's go back in time and explore Memphis Airport in 1963!

An American Airlines Boeing 707-120 pulls up to Gate 1. Memphis was one of the first airports in the US that was designed with jets and boarding bridges in mind. The gentleman up on the roof terrace is getting quite the view!

A fantastic interior view of Memphis Airport's brand new terminal building, looking toward the airline ticketing desks. The terminal was inaugurated on June 7th, 1963. On the occasion, Memphis Municipal Airport was renamed Memphis Metropolitan Airport. In 1969, it was renamed Memphis International Airport.

An exterior view of the new terminal looking south. It was designed by Memphis-based architect Roy Harrover and cost USD 5.5 million to build. The original plan had provisions for additional terminal modules to the left and right of the main building. These were built in the early 1970s along with new boarding concourses.

The modern and stylish Delta Air Lines ticketing desk. The six other airlines that served Memphis in 1963 were: American, Braniff, United, Eastern, Southern and Trans-Texas--the latter two being local service carriers.

A few passengers are waiting for their flights. The Coke slogan is very apt for an airport terminal. 

An exterior close-up view of the terminal, whose design was notable due to its distinctive martini glass-shaped columns. How appropriate a theme for the early Jet-Age! 

An aerial view taken looking south. The main part of the "Y"-shaped boarding concourse boasted seven gates equipped with boarding bridges. The two upper sections of the "Y" concourse featured simple, single-level structures with an another 15 gates. Note that all visiting aircraft are propeller aircraft. In 1963, Memphis Metropolitan Airport handled just over 1 million passengers.

The American Airlines ticketing desk.

As this enlargement of the flight schedule shows, American was a sizeable player in Memphis in the days before deregulation. 

The Memphis Airport terminal was one of the first airport terminals that separated arrivals and departures on different levels.

A model of the terminal which is displayed inside the terminal building. It even has little lights inside.

Looking toward the boarding concourse. Contrary to nowadays, boarding concourses in those days were mere corridors, containing just some seats. All commercial facilities were located in the main building.

BONUS: MEMPHIS IN 1988

As a little extra we want to show you this amazing aerial image which was taken 25 years later, in 1988, when Northwest Airlines still maintained a hub at Memphis. All the images are available in our shop as high-resolution, high-quality downloads, which you can print at your local print shop, have framed and hang on your wall.

We hope you enjoyed our little glimpse of Memphis Airport in the olden days! 

Did you know that the AirportHistory.org archive not only contain amazing images, but also airport traffic statistics going back to the earliest years of commercial aviation?

Today, we present you a snapshot of the world's 10 busiest airports 60 years ago in 1961, at the dawn of the Jet Age!

10. New York LaGuardia Airport

In 1961, New York's LaGuardia Airport handled 3.3 million passengers, ranking the city's domestic airport as the tenth busiest airport in the world.

In 1961 LaGuardia was still operating from the original 1939 terminal building. The following year, work would begin on phased construction of a new terminal on the same site, which opened in 1964.  History is repeating itself today as the 1964 building is being replaced piece by piece by a much larger new terminal

In 2019, LaGuardia handled just over 30 million passengers, putting it at 21st place in the United States and 71st in the world.

9. Chicago Midway Airport

Chicago Midway Airport was the world's busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic until 1959, when it handled just over 10 million passengers, a huge number for that time period! However, due to the limited length of the runways, Midway was unsuitable for the first generation of jets, such as the Boeing 707 and DC-8.

Thus, in 1960 the transfer of traffic to the newly expanded Chicago O'Hare began and traffic at Midway started to decline. That year, the airport handled 6.9 million passengers. In 1961, traffic at Midway reduced to 3.6 million passengers, which still lands it a place in the top 10 of that year.

After laying empty for a number of years, traffic at Midway slowly recovered, and in 2019, the airport handled 20.8 million passengers, ranking it 28th busiest in the United States and 127th in the world.

8. Atlanta Municipal Airport

In 1961, Atlanta Municipal Airport handled 3.8 million passengers, ranking it the eighth busiest in the world.

In May of that year, Atlanta opened its new Jet-Age terminal, allowing the airport to fully leverage its favorable geographic location and develop into one of country's primary connecting hubs.

In the following decades Atlanta, now called Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, would steadily climb up the ranks. In 1998, it became the world's busiest airport in terms of passenger numbers, a position it has held until today. In 2019, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport handled a whopping 110 million passengers.
​
Read about the evolving design of Atlanta's midfield terminal complex.

7. Miami International Airport

Miami International Airport has traditionally functioned as the US gateway to Latin America. In 1961, Miami handled 4.1 million passengers making it the seventh busiest airport in the world at the time.

​Miami's new terminal was only two years old in 1961 and was expanded that year with the addition of a sixth concourse (today's Concourse H)."

In 2019, Miami handled 45.9 million passengers, ranking it 16th in the US and 45th busiest in the world.

6. Washington National Airport

In 1961, Washington National Airport handled 4.7 million passengers making it the sixth busiest airport in the world. 

Due to its constrained location National was not able to expand. In 1962 Washington Dulles Airport was opened to accommodate the city's long-term needs.

Through the years National, now called Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, dropped in the rankings. In 2019, the airport handled 24.8 million passengers, ranking it 26th in the United States and 117th in the world.

5. San Francisco International Airport

​In 1961, San Francisco International Airport handled 5.2 million passengers making it the fifth busiest airport in the world that year.

San Francisco's runway layout is not conducive to hub-and-spoke operations and in the 1980s "SFO" dropped out of the world's top ten.

However, due to the tech boom in the 1990s, San Francisco again entered the top ten even becoming sixth busiest in the world. In 2019, the airport handled 57.5 million passengers, ranking it seventh busiest in the US and 23rd busiest in the world.

4. London Airport (Heathrow)

London Airport, as Heathrow was called back then, handled 6.3 million passengers in 1961 making it the fourth busiest in the world and the only airport outside the United States to make the top 10!

In 2019, Heathrow handled over 80 million passengers, ranking it seventh busiest in the world. 

​Read about Heathrow's early runway layout here.

3. Los Angeles International Airport

In 1961 Los Angeles International Airport opened its massive new Jet-Age terminal complex. That year, "LAX" handled 7 million passengers, ranking it third busiest in the world. 

In 2019, it handled just over 88 million passengers, again ranking it third busiest in the world after Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson and Beijing Capital Airport, and second busiest in the United States behind Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Explore the LAX 1960s Jet-Age terminal here.

2. Chicago O'Hare International Airport

In 1961, Chicago O'Hare Airport handled 9.6 million passengers, ranking it second busiest in the nation. In 1962, the transfer of traffic from Midway to the expanded O'Hare was completed. That year O'Hare became the busiest airport in the world, a title the airport would retain until it was overtaken by Atlanta in 1998.

In 2019, the airport handled 84.7 million passengers ranking it sixth busiest in the world and third busiest in the United States, behind Atlanta and Los Angeles.

1. New York International Airport (Idlewild)

Due to the transfer of traffic between Chicago Midway and O'Hare, New York's Idlewild Airport, now John F. Kennedy Airport, temporarily became the busiest airport in the world in both 1960 and 1961. In 1961, Idlewild processed 10.2 million passengers.

In 2019, Kennedy Airport handled 62.6 million passengers ranking it sixth busiest in the nation and 20th busiest airport in the world.

Read more about the fascinating history of John F. Kennedy Airport starting here.

The results are summarized below.  

BONUS: See expanded top 30 list here
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The expanded top 30 list contains some very interesting surprises. For example, did you know both Pittsburgh and Cleveland were among the top 20 of busiest airports in 1961?

What are your observations? Let us know in the comments below!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I want to give a big thank you to Justin Lee, aviation historian Shea Oakley and Geoff Scripture of the Terminal Museum in Houston, who assisted me with the research for this article.

A FEW NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

It needs to be stated that in the 1960s there was not yet a standardized methodology among airports and airport authorities for keeping statistics. Data from different sources often have different numbers and sometimes transit traffic is included or not. Where possible, we relied on data directly supplied by the airports. As we have at least two sources for all numbers, we are confident the above presents a reliable picture.​

Data for airports in the former USSR for 1961 is unavailable. Statistics for Chinese airports were not kept at the time.