{"id":1399,"date":"2016-03-17T12:51:18","date_gmt":"2016-03-17T16:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/one.atl.com\/?page_id=1399"},"modified":"2024-11-06T17:10:19","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T22:10:19","slug":"history-of-atl","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dev.atl.com\/atl\/about-atl\/history-of-atl\/","title":{"rendered":"History of ATL"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1608142715158{background-image: url(https:\/\/dev.atl.com\/atl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/ATL.com-Header-AboutATL.jpg?id=1140) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column el_class=”box3″ offset=”vc_hidden-xs”][vc_custom_heading text=”History of ATL” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:50|text_align:left|color:%23ffffff” google_fonts=”font_family:Cabin%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C500%2C500italic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:600%20bold%20regular%3A600%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1467743124795{padding-bottom: 4% !important;}”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/158208010″ el_width=”70″ el_aspect=”43″ align=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_tta_accordion style=”modern” shape=”square” color=”white” spacing=”2″ c_icon=”triangle” active_section=”” collapsible_all=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1460959495093{padding-top: 2px !important;padding-right: 2px !important;padding-bottom: 2px !important;padding-left: 2px !important;background-color: #4698cb !important;}”][vc_tta_section title=”1920s” tab_id=”1458233442964-ba10d243-86c8″][vc_column_text]April 16, 1925<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Mayor Walter A. Sims signs a five-year lease on an abandoned auto racetrack and commits the City to developing it into an airfield. As part of the agreement, this 287 acres of land is renamed Candler Field after its former owner’s family, including Coca-Cola magnate Asa Candler. The infield of the old racetrack had been used as a landing site for many years prior to 1925.<\/p>\n

September 15, 1926<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Florida Airways delivers mail on the Tampa\/Jacksonville\/Atlanta route to become the first commercial flight into Candler Field.<\/p>\n

October 11, 1927<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Charles Lindbergh is given a hero’s welcome as he visits Atlanta in the Spirit of St. Louis.<\/p>\n

May 1, 1928<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Airmail provider Pitcairn Aviation (later known as Eastern Airlines) begins regularly scheduled air service.<\/p>\n

April 13, 1929<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

The City pays $94,400 for the land and changes the name of the Airport to Atlanta Municipal Airport.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”1930s” tab_id=”1458233443010-e936f608-db94″][vc_column_text]June 12 1930<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Delta Air Service (later known as Delta Air Lines) begins a trial service from Birmingham, Ala., on June 12 and on June 18 made it an \u201cofficial\u201d permanent route.<\/p>\n

December 10, 1930<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Eastern Air Transport, formerly Pitcairn Aviation, inaugurates first continuous passenger service from Atlanta to New York.<\/p>\n

July 4, 1934<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Delta re-establishes Ft. Worth-Atlanta route securing its place in Atlanta’s aviation history as the Airport’s oldest continuous tenant.<\/p>\n

March 1939<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

The Airport opens its first control tower.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”1940s” tab_id=”1458248408627-895c479b-e6cd”][vc_column_text]\n

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October, 1940<\/u><\/b>Atlanta was declared an air base by the U.S. Government. Candler Field would double in size during World War II.<\/p>\n

1941<\/u><\/b>Delta Air Services moved company headquarters from Monroe, Louisiana, to Atlanta.<\/p>\n

1942<\/u><\/b>In July, because of a dispute with the post office, the City reaffirmed the name as Atlanta Municipal Airport because officials could not find the original paperwork. Hartsfield later was quoted as saying that he clearly remembered the City officially changing the name in 1929.
\nA record 1,700 takeoffs and landings in a single day was set and the Airport was named the nation’s busiest in terms of flight operation.<\/p>\n

May 9, 1948<\/u><\/b>Airport officials temporarily move operations into a war-surplus hangar as plans were developed to build a larger terminal. More than 1 million people came through Atlanta’s Airport during that year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”1950s” tab_id=”1458248433295-b63d79f3-fc28″][vc_column_text]1957<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Work begins on new terminal to help alleviate congestion. Atlanta was the busiest airport in the country with more than 2 million passengers passing through. Between noon and 2 p.m. each day, Atlanta became the busiest airport in the world.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”1960s” tab_id=”1458248453361-3b291e68-c292″][vc_column_text]May 3, 1961<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Atlanta Municipal Airport is ushered into the “Jet Age” with the opening of the largest single terminal in the country. The new $21 million structure could accommodate 6 million travelers a year. Within its first year, 9.5 million people visited, stretching the new terminal past its capacity.<\/p>\n

1964<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

The Atlanta Region Metropolitan Planning Commission (ARMPC) does the first formal planning studies and proposes the mid-field terminal concept open in 1980.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”1970s” tab_id=”1458248476357-64d7e11e-caa2″][vc_column_text]February 1971<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

William B. Hartsfield dies on Feb. 22 and on Feb. 28, what would have been Hartsfield\u2019s 81st birthday, the Airport name is changed to William B. Hartsfield Atlanta Airport.<\/p>\n

July 1, 1971<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

The Airport\u2019s name is again changed, this time to William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, when Eastern Airlines introduces flights to Mexico and Montego Bay, the Airport\u2019s first international service.<\/p>\n

January 1977<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Construction begins on the world’s largest terminal complex. This $500 million project would be the largest construction project in the South.<\/p>\n

June 1, 1978<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Sabena Belgian World Airlines becomes Atlanta\u2019s first foreign international carrier when it begins a four-time a week service to Brussels.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”1980s” tab_id=”1458248509871-42a29531-b363″][vc_column_text]September 21, 1980<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport opens the world\u2019s largest air passenger terminal complex, covering 2.5 million square feet.<\/p>\n

December 1984<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

A 9,000-foot fourth parallel runway was completed. A separate expansion the following spring gave the Airport an 11,889-foot runway capable of handling the largest commercial airplane in use or in development.<\/p>\n

June 18, 1988<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

MARTA’s Airport station opened, linking the Airport to Atlanta’s rapid transit system.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”1990s” tab_id=”1458248526374-0f3690b5-d8c3″][vc_column_text]Fall 1992<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

The Atlanta Perishable and Equine Complex opens.<\/p>\n

September 1994<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

The new 1.3 million square foot International Concourse E opens. It is the largest, single international facility in the nation. Blending state-of-the-art technology with innovative architectural design, distinctive art and pleasant amenities, Concourse E is designed to help move international passengers quickly and smoothly to their next destination.<\/p>\n

May 1996<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

The $250 million Hartsfield Improvement Program (HIP “96) is completed. This ambitious renovation and restructuring effort was designed to make Hartsfield a more user-friendly Airport. One of the more dramatic improvements of this program is the addition of the beautiful, three-story, 250,000 square-foot Atrium.<\/p>\n

June 1996<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

The Department of Aviation begins developing its new Master Plan — Hartsfield – 2000 and Beyond.<\/p>\n

July 1996<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

The Centennial Olympic Summer Games come to Georgia.<\/p>\n

February 1999<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Hartsfield gains the title World\u2019s Busiest Airport in passenger volume after accommodating 73.5 million travelers in 1998.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”2000s” tab_id=”1458248596122-ebbde128-a73d”][vc_column_text]March 2000<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Hartsfield is recognized as the World\u2019s Busiest Airport in terms of both passenger traffic and landings and takeoffs after accommodating more than 78 million passengers and more than 900,000 landings and takeoffs for 1999.<\/p>\n

April 2001<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

The City of Atlanta celebrates the groundbreaking for the new fifth runway at Hartsfield. This project is a major component of the $6 billion-plus, 10-year capital improvement program. Other projects include a new international terminal and Consolidated Rental Car facility (CONRAC). The fifth runway is the largest public works project in Georgia history.<\/p>\n

October 2001<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Following the attacks of 9\/11, enhanced security measures were adopted at the nation’s airports. Members of the Georgia National Guard begin security patrols at Hartsfield to support existing security personnel and Atlanta police officers at Hartsfield.<\/p>\n

October 2003<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

To honor late Atlanta Mayor Maynard H. Jackson, the Atlanta City Council legislated a name change of the Airport. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport recognizes the visionary leadership that both William B. Hartsfield and Jackson had for the Airport. Hartsfield-Jackson, the world’s busiest passenger airport for the fourth consecutive year, stands as a testament to two of the city’s greatest leaders.<\/p>\n

July 2004<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Construction begins on the $215 million TSA Baggage Security Screening Project, which creates specially constructed rooms below the Airport roadways for Explosive Detection Systems currently located in the ticketing lobbies. As part of the project, additional screening facilities were constructed at International Concourse E, Airport roadways were reconfigured and improved terminal curb fronts were installed.<\/p>\n

December 2004<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

A record 83.6 million passengers passed through the Airport, and since 1998, Hartsfield-Jackson has retained its title as the world’s busiest passenger airport. Additionally, a record 6 million international passengers travel through Hartsfield-Jackson, marking a 103 percent growth since the city of Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympic Summer Games<\/p>\n

July 2005<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Hartsfield-Jackson celebrates its 80th birthday. From its humble beginnings to its present world-class distinction and into its illustrious future, the Airport continues to be a vital link in the world’s air transportation system.<\/p>\n

May 2006<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

The fifth runway open. It is hailed as \u201cThe Most Important Runway in America.\u201d<\/p>\n

January 2007<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Hartsfield-Jackson receives several prestigious national honors. It was named Best Large U.S. Airport by American Express\u2019 Executive Traveler magazine. It was named Most Efficient Airport in the World by Air Transport Research Society. General Manager Ben DeCosta was named Best Airport Director by Airport Revenue News magazine.<\/p>\n

February 2008<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Forbes magazine names Hartsfield-Jackson the No. 1 airport in the nation for WiFi connectivity.<\/p>\n

March 2009<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n