Roberta Aguirre
The first airport in the world is a contentious topic. While some sources claim that the first airport was Hounslow Heath Aerodrome in London, which opened in 1919 and was the first to operate scheduled international commercial aviation services, others claim that College Park Airport in Maryland, built in 1909, is the oldest airport still in operation. Hamburg Airport in Germany, which opened in 1911, is also considered the oldest commercial airport still in operation. The first airport to be fully powered by solar energy is located in Kochi, India. The construction of airports has had significant environmental impacts, including altering local weather patterns and contributing to global warming.
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What You'll Learn
College Park Airport, Maryland, USA
College Park Airport, located in Maryland, USA, is considered the oldest operational airport in the world. The airport was built in 1909 when Wilbur Wright, the eldest of the Wright brothers, arrived in College Park to provide aviation training for two US Army officers. The airport is still in operation today and is owned and operated by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
College Park Airport has daily operating hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Visitors are welcome during these hours, but security restrictions require anyone not escorted by a registered pilot to provide a government-issued photo ID to access the observation deck. The airport can be easily accessed from the College Park Metro Station, which is about a 20- to 25-minute ride from most downtown stations.
The airport has a rich history and has played a significant role in the development of aviation. It has been a hub for aviation training and a site for important milestones in the early days of flight. The airport's location near the University of Maryland and its accessibility make it a unique venue for meetings, training sessions, and special events.
College Park Airport is a testament to the early days of aviation and continues to be a functional airport, contributing to the local community and offering a glimpse into the history of flight. Its recognition as the oldest operational airport in the world makes it a significant landmark in the history of aviation.
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Hounslow Heath Aerodrome, London
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome, located in the London borough of Hounslow, was a grass airfield that served as the UK's first scheduled international airport. The aerodrome was operational from 1914 to 1920, with the first international commercial flight arriving on 14 July 1919. This flight, piloted by Etienne Poulet, carried photos from Paris – Le Bourget Airport to commemorate the Treaty of Versailles.
The history of Hounslow Heath dates back to the 16th century, when it was surveyed and recorded as a large area of 4,293 acres. Over the centuries, it was used by various armies due to its proximity to London and other important cities. In 1793, the British army built Hounslow Barracks to the north of the site, and it continued to be used for military training and exercises.
In the early 20th century, the site began its transformation into an aerodrome. The Royal Flying Corps started using the base for missions in 1909, and the outbreak of World War I further accelerated its development. By 1915, Hounslow Heath had become a full-fledged base, with hundreds of soldiers receiving training and the aerodrome being used for home defence against Zeppelin military airships.
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome played a significant role in the history of aviation. In 1919, it became the sole London Terminal Aerodrome and hosted the British Empire's first scheduled daily international commercial flights. These flights connected London to Paris Le Bourget Airport, carrying passengers, newspapers, and other essential cargo. The same year, the Australian government offered a prize of £10,000 for the first Australians to fly from Great Britain to Australia, with Hounslow Heath Aerodrome designated as the starting point for landplanes.
However, the operations at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome were short-lived. The last commercial flights took place in March 1920, after which services moved to Croydon Airport, which became the approved airport serving London. Today, the site of Hounslow Heath has largely reverted to an undeveloped public open space and nature reserve, with only a plaque marking the entrance to London's first civil airport.
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Hamburg Airport, Germany
The first airport in the world to be built was Pearson Field Airport in Vancouver, Washington, United States, in 1905. However, it only accommodated planes in 1909 and started accepting airships in 1911. The first "real" airport, College Park Airport in Maryland, was also constructed in 1909 and is still in operation today.
Hamburg Airport, formerly known as Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel Airport, is a major international airport in Hamburg, Germany. It is located 8.5 km (5.3 mi) north of the city centre in the Fuhlsbüttel quarter and is named after Helmut Schmidt, a former senator of Hamburg, chancellor of West Germany, and member of Airbus Germany's first supervisory board. The airport is the fifth busiest of Germany's commercial airports and the fifth largest airport in the country. It is a hub for Eurowings and a focus city for Condor, serving over 130 destinations, mostly in Europe.
The airport was established on 10 January 1911, making it the oldest international airport still in operation and the second oldest airport in Germany after Tempelhof Airport. The original site covered 45 hectares and was primarily used for airship flights, with a hangar that could accommodate two Zeppelins. In 1913, the site was expanded to 60 hectares, with the northern part dedicated to airship operations and the southeast area for fixed-wing aircraft. During World War I, the hangar was extensively used by the German military until it was destroyed by fire in 1916. After the war, in 1919, the first aeroplanes began to supplant the Zeppelins, and in 1920, the first scheduled flights took off to destinations such as Berlin and Amsterdam.
During the British occupation, beginning in 1945, the airport was renamed Hamburg Airport and played a crucial role in the Berlin Airlift in 1948 as a staging area. Over time, the airport has expanded significantly, with the site growing more than tenfold from 440,000 m2 (4,700,000 sq ft) to 5.7 km2 (2.2 sq mi). Today, it continues to be a vital hub for international air travel, celebrating numerous milestones throughout its history.
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Bremen Airport, Germany
While the world's first airport is widely considered to be Hounslow Heath Aerodrome in London, which opened in 1919, Bremen Airport in Germany is also one of the oldest airports in the world, having been built in 1913. Located just 3.5 kilometres from Bremen, the airport is known for its extreme accessibility from the city centre, which is only an eleven-minute tram ride away.
During World War I, Bremen Airport was administered by the German military. It was reopened for commercial traffic in 1920, and new terminal and runway facilities built in the 1930s made the airport one of the most modern of its time. The airport currently has four terminals and two runways, as well as cargo and ground transportation facilities.
Bremen Airport serves as a hub for Germania and Ryanair, offering nonstop flights to 50 destinations in 20 nations across Europe and North Africa. In 2023 and 2024, the airport gained two important additional hub connections when Lufthansa Group Airlines SWISS and Austrian Airlines began scheduled routes to their hubs in Zurich and Vienna, respectively. Scandinavian Airlines has also used Bremen Airport as a stopover on routes from Scandinavia to Geneva and Vienna.
The airport's infrastructure includes a small aviation and space exploration museum called the Bremenhalle, which displays the Junkers W33 Bremen and the first Spacelab module. The airport is also home to the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) and its two Basler BT-67 research aircraft, Polar 5 and Polar 6.
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Amsterdam Airport, Netherlands
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, located 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) southwest of Amsterdam, is the main international airport of the Netherlands. It is one of the major hubs for the SkyTeam airline alliance and is the third busiest airport in Europe in terms of passenger volume, seeing almost 72 million passengers in 2019.
The airport opened on 16 September 1916 as a military airbase, with civilian use beginning after the First World War. By 1940, Schiphol had four asphalt runways at 45-degree angles. During World War II, the airport was considered a strategic target and was heavily bombed, suffering massive damage. After the Netherlands surrendered to Germany, the airport was renamed Fliegerhorst Schiphol, and the Luftwaffe stationed 70 aircraft at the airfield. However, it soon became a target for the Allied forces, and on 13 December, the US dropped nearly 1,600 bombs on the airport. As the Germans began retreating in 1944, they blew up parts of the airport, leaving it almost unusable. Reconstruction efforts began after the liberation of the Netherlands on 14 April 1945, and the first plane landed again just three months later.
In the 1950s, Schiphol saw the opening of its first air traffic control tower and duty-free shop, and it became a popular day trip destination for families. A new concrete runway was added in 1958 to accommodate heavier jet engine planes, and a new terminal building based on Jan Dellaert's ambitious expansion plans was inaugurated in 1967. Schiphol was voted the Best Airport in Western Europe in 2020 and continues to work towards becoming the world's most sustainable airport, with plans to add biofuel to its supply.
The airport covers a total area of 6,887 acres (2,787 hectares) of land and has six runways, one of which is mainly used by general aviation. It is built on the single-terminal concept, with one large terminal split into three departure halls. The Rijksmuseum operates an annex at the airport, offering free admission to an exhibit of classical and contemporary art, and the Schiphol Airport Library provides access to books, e-books, and music by Dutch artists and composers.
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Frequently asked questions
College Park Airport in Maryland, United States, is considered the oldest airport in the world. It was built in 1909 and is still in operation today.
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome in London, England, was the first airport to operate scheduled international commercial services in August 1919. However, it was closed in March 1920 and replaced by Croydon Airport.
Douglas Municipal Airport in Arizona became the first international airport in the Americas in 1928.
