Baltimore, Maryland: A Hub Of Aviation With Multiple Airports

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, also known as BWI Airport, is the main airport serving Baltimore, Maryland. It is located 9 miles south of downtown Baltimore and is one of three major airports serving the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area. The airport was built on a 2,100-acre site near Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and opened in 1944. BWI is the busiest airport in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, serving over 25 million passengers each year and offering flights to 90-plus domestic and international destinations.

Baltimore/Washington International Airport is also known as Thurgood Marshall Airport, BWI Airport, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport

The airport's IATA code is BWI, its ICAO code is KBWI, and its FAA LID is also BWI. The airport serves as one of 12 U.S.-based operating bases for Southwest Airlines.

Baltimore/Washington International Airport is not the only airport in the area. There are several other airports within a 100-mile radius of Baltimore, Maryland, including Philadelphia International Airport, Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport, Tipton Airport, Martin State Airport, Lee Airport, College Park Airport, Carroll County Regional Airport, Phillips Army Airfield, and Buzzards Pt Sea Plane Base. However, Baltimore/Washington International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the region, offering a wide range of domestic and international flights.

The airport is located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 9 miles south of downtown Baltimore

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, also known as BWI Airport, is located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 9 miles (14km) south of downtown Baltimore. It is one of three major airports that serve the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area, alongside Dulles International Airport in Virginia and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, also in Virginia.

Planning for BWI Airport began in 1944, just before the end of World War II, when the Baltimore Aviation Commission decided that a 2,100-acre (850 ha) tract of land near Linthicum Heights, Maryland, would be the best location for a new airport. The site was chosen because it was a 15-minute drive from Downtown Baltimore, close to several railroad lines, and had good visibility. The airport was built at an estimated cost of $9 million.

BWI Airport has grown to serve more than 25 million passengers each year across 90-plus domestic and international destinations. In 2023, it recorded 12,849,636 passenger enplanements, making it the busiest airport in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. The airport serves as one of 12 U.S.-based operating bases for Southwest Airlines.

BWI is one of three major airports serving the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is one of three major airports serving the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area. The airport is located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 9 miles (14 km) south of downtown Baltimore and 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Washington, D.C.

Planning for a new airport to serve the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area began in 1944, just before the end of World War II. The Baltimore Aviation Commission decided that the best location for the airport would be on a 2,100-acre (850 ha) tract of land near Linthicum Heights, Maryland. The site was chosen because it was a 15-minute drive from downtown Baltimore, close to several railroad lines, and had good visibility. The cost of building the airport was estimated at $9 million.

BWI has grown to serve over 90 domestic and international destinations and more than 25 million passengers each year. In 2023, the airport recorded 12,849,636 passenger enplanements, making it the busiest airport in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. BWI is also one of 12 U.S.-based operating bases for Southwest Airlines.

The other two major airports serving the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area are Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Dulles, Virginia, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Crystal City, Virginia.

In 2023, BWI recorded 12,849,636 passenger enplanements, making it the busiest airport in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area

Baltimore, Maryland, is served by three major airports: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), and Dulles International Airport (IAD). BWI is located 9 miles (14 km) south of downtown Baltimore and 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Washington, D.C. In 2023, BWI recorded 12,849,636 passenger enplanements, making it the busiest airport in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. This placed BWI at #23 in passenger enplanements in the U.S., followed by Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (#24) and Washington/Dulles Int'l Airport (#26).

BWI Airport offers a range of domestic and international flights, serving as one of 12 U.S.-based operating bases for Southwest Airlines. The airport has a long history, dating back to 1957, when it served as Washington, D.C.'s jet airport for a brief period before the opening of Dulles International Airport in 1962.

In addition to the three major airports, there are several smaller airports in the Baltimore area, including Tipton Airport (20 miles from Baltimore), Martin State Airport (21 miles), Lee Airport (32 miles), and Carroll County Regional Airport (38 miles), among others. These smaller airports cater to private pilots and offer alternative options for general aviation.

The Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area is well-connected to both domestic and international destinations through its network of airports. BWI, in particular, has established itself as a significant aviation hub, handling over 12 million passengers in 2023 and contributing to the region's thriving transportation sector.

Planning for the airport began in 1944, with the site chosen for its proximity to Baltimore and good visibility

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, also known as BWI Airport, is an international airport in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It is located 9 miles (14 km) south of downtown Baltimore and 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Washington, D.C. BWI is one of three major airports that serve the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area. The other two are Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Dulles, Virginia, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Crystal City, Virginia.

In 2023, BWI recorded 12,849,636 passenger enplanements, making it the busiest airport in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. The airport has grown to 90-plus domestic and international destinations and services more than 25 million passengers each year. The early reach of the airport was limited, with westward nonstop flights not reaching beyond Ohio. However, the airport's reach expanded when jet service started, and it became Washington, D.C.'s jet airport from May 1959 to June 1959 when American and TWA began transcontinental 707 flights.

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