Sachin Walls
Sixty years ago, aviation was a vastly different landscape. The Wright Brothers' first flight in 1903 had sparked an explosion of aircraft, and airports were beginning to spring up across the United States. By the 1960s, airports were operational, with Washington Dulles International Airport celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2022. However, the airport experience of the past was a far cry from the modern terminals of today. Security was almost non-existent, with the first controls implemented in the 1970s, and the focus was on innovative designs, such as mobile lounges and people movers, to enhance the passenger experience.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Existence of airports | Yes, airports did exist 60 years ago. |
| Examples | Washington Dulles International Airport, Washington National Airport, Pearson Field, Albert Whitted Airport, Albany International Airport, Spartanburg Downtown Airport |
| Passenger Traffic | Washington Dulles International Airport welcomed 54,800 travelers in its first year of opening in 1962. By 1966, annual passenger traffic had reached 1 million. |
| Airlines | In its first year, Washington Dulles International Airport was served by 6 airlines: American Airlines, Braniff, Delta, Eastern, TWA, and Northwest Orient. |
| Security | Security was minimal, with no documentation controls except for customs when crossing a border. Security inspections were conducted by airline staff and focused on identifying inappropriate behaviors. |
| Technology | Electronic tickets, conveyor belts, and 3D scanners did not exist. |
| Design | Dulles International Airport featured "mobile lounges" or "Dulles People Movers" to transport passengers between gates and planes, eliminating long walks. |
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What You'll Learn
Washington Dulles International Airport
Yes, there were airports 60 years ago. In fact, the first airport in history was created by the Wright brothers, who also completed the first-ever flight with an aeroplane.
The airport is located on a 10,000-acre site, 26 miles west of Washington, D.C., and was the second airport to serve the region, after Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. In its first year, it welcomed 54,800 travellers, flying on six airlines. By 1966, annual passenger traffic had reached one million, and by 2022, the airport was serving over 23 million passengers annually, with more than 60,000 daily passengers travelling to more than 125 destinations worldwide.
The main terminal, designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, is highly regarded for its graceful beauty, suggestive of flight. The terminal has been expanded several times to accommodate the growing number of passengers, with the first expansion completed in November 1977. The airport has also been featured in several films, including "Die Hard 2: Die Harder", "The Package", and "In The Line of Fire".
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JFK, LAX, and IAD
Yes, 60 years ago, in 1963, there were airports in operation. In fact, airports have been in operation for much longer than 60 years, with the first airport in the world, College Park Airport in Maryland, USA, having opened in 1909.
JFK
John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA: JFK, ICAO: KJFK, FAA LID: JFK) is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. The airport, which covers 5,200 acres, is the largest in the New York metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is the busiest of the seven airports in the New York airport system and the sixth-busiest airport in the United States. The facility opened in 1948 as New York International Airport and was commonly known as Idlewild Airport. Following the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, the airport was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport in tribute to him. Airlines began scheduling jets to Idlewild in 1958–59, and by the 1960s, it had become New York's busiest airport.
LAX
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the fourth busiest airport in the world and second busiest in the United States, based on the number of passengers. In 2018, 78.5 million passengers used LAX. LAX is the busiest domestic O&D (origination and destination) passenger market in the U.S., with approximately 88% of travellers at LAX being O&D passengers. The airport has four east/west parallel runways and is owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a department of the City of Los Angeles.
IAD
Dulles International Airport (IAD) is one of three major airports serving the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area. IAD ranks fourth in the US in terms of land area. In 2024, IAD set an all-time passenger record, with 27.25 million passengers. Dulles is a hub for United Airlines and is frequently used by Star Alliance members like Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. Before World War II, Hoover Field was the main commercial airport serving Washington, on the site now occupied by the Pentagon and its parking lots.
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Airport security
Sixty years ago, in 1962, Washington Dulles International Airport opened its doors to visitors for the first time. Named after the late Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, the airport was a symbol of America's progress into the jet age. In its first year, it welcomed 54,800 travellers, flying on six airlines.
In the early days of aviation, security was almost non-existent. There were no documentation controls, except for customs checks when crossing borders. Security inspections were typically conducted by airline staff and involved identifying potentially inappropriate behaviours. However, as air travel became more common, security concerns emerged, particularly regarding hijackings.
In the 1970s, after a series of hijacking attempts, the first security controls for accessing the boarding area and aircraft were introduced. These early measures included X-ray screening and metal detectors for hand luggage. Passengers were also asked at check-in if anyone could have tampered with their luggage. Following high-profile incidents in the 1980s and 1990s, such as the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, security measures tightened further, leading to more comprehensive passenger and baggage screening.
The 9/11 terrorist attacks marked a turning point in airport security, with stringent measures such as the "3-1-1 rule" and expanded lists of banned items from carry-on luggage. Airports also restricted access for non-passengers, requiring them to obtain gate passes for specific purposes. Additionally, airports enhanced the security of restricted areas by implementing biometric access control for employees, ensuring only authorised personnel could enter sensitive zones.
Today, airport security continues to evolve, leveraging advanced technologies such as facial recognition, fingerprints, and iris scans to streamline the passenger journey while maintaining the highest security standards. These measures reflect the relentless pursuit of safety, efficiency, and convenience in the aviation industry.
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The 10 oldest US airports
Sixty years ago, in 1962, Washington Dulles International Airport opened its doors to visitors for the first time. Named after the late Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, the airport stood as a symbol of America's progress into the jet age.
Dulles International Airport was not the first airport in the United States, which has a rich history of aviation. Here is a list of the 10 oldest US airports:
- College Park Airport, Maryland: Widely accepted as the oldest continuously operated airport in the world, College Park Airport has been in use since 1909. The airport was founded by Wilbur Wright to train the country's first military pilots and has seen many other historic firsts.
- Chicago Midway, Illinois: Originally named Chicago Air Park when it opened in 1923, the airport was mostly used for airmail services. However, it soon attracted commercial passengers and changed its name to Chicago Municipal Airport in 1927.
- Albert Whitted Airport, Florida: Lieutenant James Albert Whitted, a native of St. Petersburg, is the airport's namesake. It is recognised as the birthplace of scheduled commercial airline flights. On January 1, 1914, a Benoist XIV flying boat from the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line took off from the central yacht basin of the downtown waterfront.
- Boston Logan International Airport, Massachusetts: Boston has had an airport since 1923, which was first built as an airfield by the US Army on tidal flats on Boston Harbor. The first commercial hangar was built in 1925, and its first commercial flights commenced in 1927.
- Albany International Airport, New York: Established in 1928, Albany International Airport is one of America's oldest operating international airports. It served 2.7 million passengers in 2023 and is used by major airlines such as Delta, Southwest, United, and American.
- Pearson Field, Washington: While the first airplane flight at Pearson Field was in 1911, the site also served as a landing site for a dirigible airship in 1905, leading some to consider it the oldest operating airfield in the country.
- Stinson Municipal Airport: While no longer serving commercial airlines due to the construction of the San Antonio International Airport, Stinson Municipal Airport is still in use as a municipal airport today, with an average of 255 flights per day.
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington, D.C.: Before the opening of Dulles International Airport, this airport was the sole airport serving Washington, D.C.
- Houston Airport, Texas: Up until the 1970s, security was practically non-existent at Houston Airport, with security inspections carried out by airline staff.
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Ohio: While the exact year of its establishment is unclear, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is one of the oldest airports in the United States.
These airports have played a significant role in the development of aviation in the US and continue to serve as important flight hubs.
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The busiest airports in 1961
Yes, there were airports 60 years ago. In fact, the Washington Dulles International Airport celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2022. The airport, named after the late Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, first opened its doors to visitors on November 17, 1962, and stood as a symbol of America's progress into the jet age.
While I could not find a comprehensive list of the world's busiest airports in 1961, I did find some information on the topic. According to one source, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) was the world's busiest airport in 1961. However, by 2019, it was no longer in the top 10. Another source mentions that Newark Airport was the 13th busiest airport in the world and the 11th busiest in the US that same year.
In the early 1960s, most domestic travel in Europe was by train, as the rail network was (and still is) much more developed than in the US. However, there were not many domestic air services in Europe for the general public at that time.
Airports have changed a lot since their early days. The first airport in history, created by the Wright brothers in 1903, was more like an untilled field than a modern airport. Up until the 1970s, airport security was practically non-existent, with no documentation controls and security inspections carried out by airline staff. It was only after the 9/11 attacks in 2001 that security controls became a central aspect of all airports.
Today, the world's busiest airport is Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, which has held the title every year since 1998, except in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2025, Singapore Changi Airport was named the World's Best Airport for the 13th time by Skytrax, an air transport rating organization.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there were airports 60 years ago. In fact, Washington Dulles International Airport celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2022.
The airport was named after John Foster Dulles, the late Secretary of State. In its first year, it welcomed 54,800 travellers flying on six airlines. By 1966, annual passenger traffic had reached one million.
Yes, there were several other airports in the US 60 years ago, including Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (then known as Washington National Airport), which was the sole airport serving Washington, D.C. until Dulles opened in 1962. Other old airports in the US include Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Pearson Field in Washington State, Albert Whitted Airport in Florida, and Albany International Airport in New York.
Security in airports 60 years ago was very different from today. Up until the 1970s, security was minimal, with no documentation controls and only basic security inspections carried out by airline staff. It was not until after the 9/11 attacks in 2001 that security controls became a central aspect of airports.
