Lois Larson
By the 1940s, commercial transatlantic flights were a reality, and airports were already well-established. In fact, Pittsburgh Airport was built in the 1940s, and Chicago's Midway Airport was the biggest and busiest airport in the city until O'Hare was built in 1944. However, airports as we know them today are the result of several pivotal changes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Commercial transatlantic flights | Were a reality |
| Flight boards | Did not exist until the end of the 1940s |
| Security | Practically non-existent |
| Airports | Established in the US in cities like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and New York City |
| Airport design | Art deco design for Houston Airport, Texas |
| Runways | Dirt landing strips or unpaved runways |
| Air traffic control | Nonexistent; airport employees used coloured flags to indicate the landing site |
| Duty-free shops | The first duty-free shop was opened in 1947 at Shannon Airport in Ireland |
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What You'll Learn
Transatlantic flights
By the 1940s, commercial transatlantic flights were a reality. Airports were established in the 1940s, and transatlantic flights from Europe to North America, Latin America, or vice versa, were becoming more common. However, the outbreak of World War II reduced commercial services, and aircraft were instead used to transport cargo across the Atlantic.
The first non-stop transatlantic flight took place much earlier, in 1919, by British aviators Alcock and Brown, who flew from Newfoundland to Ireland in a Vickers Vimy IV twin-engined bomber. The flight took 16 hours. This was also the first transatlantic airmail flight, carrying 3lb of mail. The first successful transatlantic flight in a balloon was not until 1978, from Maine to near Paris.
The 1940s saw the continued development of transatlantic flight, with airlines such as Pan Am, Trans World Airways, BOAC, and Air France operating transatlantic routes. By 1946, Pan Am's DC-4 was flying from New York to the UK five days a week, with a journey time of 17 hours and 40 minutes.
The evolution of transatlantic flight continued with the introduction of jet aircraft. In 1958, BOAC launched the first transatlantic jet service between London Heathrow and New York's Idlewild Airport, followed by Pan Am's Boeing 707 between New York and Paris. This marked the beginning of a significant expansion in transatlantic services, with more airlines launching routes across the Atlantic.
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Airport design
One notable feature of airports in the 1940s was the lack of security measures. Security inspections were often carried out by airline staff and were focused on identifying suspicious behaviours rather than documentation checks or extensive searches. This would change in the 1970s, following a wave of hijacking attempts, leading to the implementation of security controls for accessing boarding areas and aircraft.
Another aspect of airport design in the 1940s was the use of dirt or unpaved runways. For example, Chicago's Midway Airport, one of the busiest airports at the time, had dirt landing strips instead of paved runways. Airports also employed coloured flags to indicate the landing site, rather than sophisticated air traffic control systems.
The 1940s also saw the introduction of duty-free shopping at airports. The concept originated at Shannon Airport in Ireland, where passengers stopped to refuel before crossing the Atlantic. The duty-free model, inspired by a similar practice for seafarers, was quickly replicated at other international airports.
In terms of terminal design, the Pittsburgh Airport terminal, opened in 1952, was considered cutting-edge for its time. It influenced future airport terminal designs with its modern features. Additionally, the use of passenger bridges or "fingers" to protect passengers from the elements and expedite boarding became common in the late 1950s, first appearing at Atlanta airport.
While airports in the 1940s lacked the advanced security and infrastructure of today, they laid the foundation for the global aviation network we know now, with continuous improvements driven by technological advancements and the growing demand for air travel.
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Airport security
Yes, there were airports in the 1940s, and air travel was already becoming a popular means of transportation. The airports of the 1940s looked quite different from the airports we know today. Many of the procedures and security measures we now take for granted at airports did not exist or were just being introduced.
Security checks in the 1940s were less rigorous and time-consuming than today. Passengers typically underwent a brief security check before boarding, which might include a pat-down or metal detector scan. Baggage checks were also less thorough, and passengers could often bring items on board that would be prohibited today, such as knives or scissors. The security measures that were in place were often focused on ensuring the safety of the aircraft and its passengers, such as checking for mechanical issues or ensuring the aircraft was balanced correctly.
However, as aviation technology advanced and air travel became more accessible, the need for more robust security measures became apparent. As the decades progressed, airport security evolved and adapted to meet new challenges and threats, leading to the highly sophisticated and comprehensive security systems in place at airports worldwide today.
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Military airports
During World War II, many civilian airports were converted into military airfields. In Washington state, at least 17 municipal or local airports became army and navy military airfields. For example, in 1940, the navy purchased the Arlington airport, which had originally opened in 1934. The field became a carrier-pilot training facility, with the runway painted with lines to match those on aircraft carriers. The army also brought in bombers for coastal defence following the Japanese attacks on the Aleutian Islands in 1942.
In 1939, the Kitsap County Airport opened at Bremerton and was used by the navy as an Outlying Field for Naval Air Station Seattle during the war. The navy also utilised the Bellingham facility to house bombers and fighters defending the Puget Sound area. The Bellingham airport was returned to civilian use in October 1946. In the 1930s, an airport was constructed two miles northeast of Ellensburg, Kittitas County, which became an Army Air Force flying school in 1943.
Outside of Washington, the Spokane Municipal Airport, located four miles northeast of Spokane, served as a Civilian Pilots Training Program and War Training Service school during the war. The airfield was home to the Air National Guard/116th Observation Squadron.
In Canada, the Newfoundland Airport, later renamed Gander by the Canadian military in 1941, was used as a refueling point for Allied aircraft travelling to and from Europe, as well as for surveillance flights patrolling the western Atlantic. The Canadian military made significant upgrades to the airport, including lengthening runways and constructing additional hangars, barracks, and mess halls.
Many of these military airfields were returned to their previous owners after the war and reverted to civilian use.
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Commercial airports
By the 1940s, commercial transatlantic flights were a reality. However, airports in the 1940s looked very different from what we know today. For instance, security was practically non-existent, with no documentation controls and security inspections carried out by airline staff. These inspections mostly consisted of identifying potentially inappropriate behaviours.
In the 1940s, Pittsburgh Airport was mostly an agricultural area too distant to be considered a suburb. The location was chosen by the federal government when they were looking to build a military airport near the city. A commercial passenger terminal was opened later, in 1952, when the city had expanded towards the airport and demand for air travel had increased.
Midway Airport in Chicago was the biggest and busiest airport in the city until O'Hare was built in 1944. In the early days, Midway had no paved runways, only dirt landing strips, and there was no air traffic control tower. Instead, airport employees would wave coloured flags to indicate the landing site.
In Washington, D.C., Hoover Field, located near the present site of the Pentagon, was the first major terminal in the National Capital area, opening in 1926. The following year, Washington Airport, another privately operated field, began service next door. In 1930, the two terminals merged to form Washington-Hoover Airport due to the economic impact of the Great Depression. However, this airport still had inadequate infrastructure, with its only runway intersected by a busy street that had to be guarded during takeoffs and landings. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced that a new airport would be built on mudflats on a bend of the Potomac River, and construction began soon after.
During the 1940s, Teterboro Airport in New Jersey was one of the world's largest airports and served as a hub for flights to South America and for Pan American Airways' flying boats. After the Second World War, operations moved to Miami International Airport, and the need for Teterboro Airport diminished.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there were airports in the 1940s.
Airports in the 1940s looked very different from those we know today. For example, Chicago Midway Airport, which was the biggest and busiest airport in Chicago until 1944, had dirt landing strips instead of paved runways, and no air traffic control towers. Instead, airport employees would wave coloured flags to indicate the landing site. Security was also almost non-existent, with no documentation checks and security inspections carried out by airline staff.
One airport that was particularly important in the 1940s was Shannon Airport in Ireland. At this time, flights leaving European cities stopped to refuel in Ireland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean. In 1947, the first duty-free shop was opened at Shannon Airport, which has since become a staple of most international airports.
Yes, several airports were built in the 1940s. For example, Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. was constructed between 1938 and 1941, and the Chicago O'Hare Airport was built in 1944.
