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The Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV) is a medium-sized, joint-use civil-military airport located in South Burlington, Vermont, serving Burlington, Vermont's most populous city, and its metropolitan area. The airport was first established in 1920 when an Avro plane piloted by Captain Hubert Stanford Broad made its first landing there. In 1921, the Burlington Municipal Airport—Vermont's Aerodrome was formally recognized at a dedication ceremony. Over the years, the airport has undergone several improvements and expansions, including the addition of a north–south runway and apron in 1934 and the purchase of adjacent land in 1941 for a major upgrade. The airport has a rich aviation history, attracting record-setters like Grace Hall Pugh, Vermont's first licensed female pilot, and Amelia Earhart, who promoted the idea of aviation as a conventional means of travel for everyone.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport |
| Former Name | Burlington Municipal Airport |
| Year of First Landing | 1920 |
| Year of Formal Recognition | 1921 |
| Year Amelia Earhart Visited | 1934 |
| Year of Renaming | 2023 |
| Owner | City of Burlington |
| Location | South Burlington |
| Distance from Burlington's Central Business District | 3 nautical miles |
| Traffic | 687,436 passenger boardings (2019) |
| Traffic (compared to other Vermont airports) | 100 times the traffic of the second-busiest airport |
| Runway Configuration | Primary RWY 15/33 intersected by smaller RWY 01/19 |
| Airspace | Class C with a ceiling up to and including 4,400' MSL |
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What You'll Learn
The first aircraft landed in 1920
On Saturday, August 14, 1920, the first aircraft landed at what became the Burlington Municipal Airport. The pilot, Captain Hubert Stanford Broad, was a World War I veteran of the Air Forces of Great Britain. Before landing his Avro plane, he circled the city of Burlington and performed stunts for awaiting spectators. This marked Burlington Airport's first fly-in.
The Burlington airport project began not long after the Wright Brothers' famous flight. WWI pilot and future Mayor of Burlington, Johnny Burns, Aviation Commissioner Mason Beebe, and Chamber of Commerce secretary James Taylor raised funds to purchase the land. They transformed a field into a landing strip in 1920, levelling the ground with a horse-drawn grader and steamroller owned by the City of Burlington.
In 1921, there were no instruments or beacons to guide pilots to a safe landing. Instead, a circle of crushed limestone indicated where pilots should land. After improvements to the landing field, the Burlington Municipal Airport—Vermont's Aerodrome—was officially recognised at a dedication ceremony on September 22, 1921, by Governor Hartness, himself a pilot.
In 1928, the airport received recognition from the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America, and the local Board of Airport Commissioners was formed. The commission established the first set of fees for renting hangar space, taking initial steps towards making the airport financially sustainable.
Now known as the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport, the airport is located in South Burlington, just three nautical miles (6 km) east of Burlington's central business district. It is the busiest airport in Vermont, with 40% of its passengers coming from Quebec, Canada, in 2015. The airport has attracted aviation record-setters, including Amelia Earhart, who was presented with the keys to the City of Burlington at the airport in 1934.
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It was formally recognised in 1921
The Burlington Municipal Airport—Vermont's Aerodrome—was formally recognised at a dedication ceremony on September 22, 1921, by Governor Hartness, himself a pilot. The airport came under the management of the City of Burlington in 1921, during the mayorship of J. Holmes Jackson.
The Burlington Municipal Airport was established in 1920 when the first aircraft landed there on August 14. The pilot, Captain Hubert Stanford Broad, was a World War I veteran of the Air Forces of Great Britain. He circled the city of Burlington, performed a few stunts for awaiting spectators, and landed his Avro plane in a new field north of Williston Road. This marked the airport's first fly-in.
The field was purchased and transformed into a landing strip in 1920 by WWI pilot and future Mayor of Burlington, Johnny Burns, Aviation Commissioner Mason Beebe, and Chamber of Commerce secretary James Taylor. The airstrip was levelled using a horse-drawn grader and steamroller owned by the City of Burlington. The airport office was set up in the 1853 Eldridge Schoolhouse, which was relocated to the airfield by Burlington City crews.
In 1921, there were no instruments or beacons to guide pilots to a safe landing. Instead, a circle of crushed limestone indicated the landing spot. After improvements to the landing field, the airport was formally recognised in 1921. In 1928, following further improvements, Burlington received recognition from the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America, and the local Board of Airport Commissioners was formed. The commission established the first set of fees for renting hangar space, taking the initial steps towards making the airport financially sustainable.
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The airport was renamed in 2023
The airport now known as the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport has a long history. On 14 August 1920, the first aircraft landed at what became the Burlington Municipal Airport. The airstrip was levelled using a horse-drawn grader and steamroller owned by the City of Burlington. The airport office was set up in the 1853 Eldridge Schoolhouse, which was relocated to the airfield by Burlington City crews.
In 1921, there were no instruments or beacons to guide pilots to a safe landing, so a circle of crushed limestone indicated the landing spot. After improvements to the landing field, the Burlington Municipal Airport—Vermont's Aerodrome—was officially recognised at a dedication ceremony on 22 September 1921, by Governor Hartness, himself a pilot. In 1923, the airport was renamed to honour former U.S. senator Patrick Leahy.
The airport has attracted aviation legends, including Grace Hall Pugh, Vermont's "First Lady of Aviation", who became the state's first licensed female pilot in 1938. Amelia Earhart also visited the airport in 1934, arriving to a crowd of 2,000 people. In 1941, 75 acres of land adjacent to the airport were purchased as part of a major upgrade.
The airport is a joint-use civil-military airport serving Burlington, Vermont's most populous city, and its metropolitan area. It is located in neighbouring South Burlington, just three nautical miles (6 km) east of Burlington's central business district. It is the busiest airport in Vermont, with 10 times more traffic than the second-busiest airport, Rutland–Southern Vermont Regional Airport.
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It is the busiest airport in Vermont
The Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport, formerly known as the Burlington Municipal Airport, is the busiest airport in Vermont. It is a medium-sized, joint-use civil-military airport located in South Burlington, just three nautical miles (6 km) east of Burlington's central business district. The airport serves Burlington, Vermont's most populous city, and its metropolitan area.
On August 14, 1920, Captain Hubert Stanford Broad, a World War I pilot, landed his Avro plane in a new field north of Williston Road, marking the airport's first fly-in. The Burlington Municipal Airport—Vermont's Aerodrome—was then officially recognised at a dedication ceremony on September 22, 1921, by Governor Hartness, himself a pilot. The airport has a rich history of attracting aviation record-setters, including Grace Hall Pugh, Vermont's first licensed female pilot, and Amelia Earhart, who promoted her vision of aviation as a conventional means of travel for everyone during her visit in 1934.
As of 2019, the airport recorded 687,436 passenger boardings, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, with around 40% of passengers coming from Quebec, Canada. The airport is the only one in Vermont with mainline commercial service, serving the air carrier, general aviation, and corporate aviation communities. It is also home to the Green Mountain Boys of the Vermont Air National Guard.
The airport's configuration includes primary runway 15/33, intersected by a smaller runway, and both runways have parallel full-length taxiways. The airspace is Class C, with a ceiling up to and including 4,400' MSL. The complex environment at the airport, with a mix of light general aviation, air carrier, and tactical fighter aircraft, requires heightened pilot awareness and caution for jet blast by commercial aircraft and high-speed fighter aircraft within the airspace.
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It is located in South Burlington
The Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV) is located in South Burlington, just three nautical miles (or six kilometres) east of Burlington's central business district. It is a medium-sized, joint-use civil-military airport, serving both Burlington, Vermont's most populous city, and its metropolitan area.
The airport was built in the 1920s, with the first aircraft landing in 1920. It was originally known as Burlington Municipal Airport—Vermont's Aerodrome. The airport office was set up in the 1853 Eldridge Schoolhouse, which was relocated to the airfield by Burlington City crews. In the early days, there was a lack of technology to guide pilots, who relied on a circle of crushed limestone to indicate where to land.
Over time, the airport underwent improvements, achieving recognition from the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America in 1928. In 1931, it hosted an air meet featuring aviation record-setters Post and Gatty. The airport has also been visited by renowned pilots, including Vermont's "First Lady of Aviation", Grace Hall Pugh, and Amelia Earhart, who received the keys to the City of Burlington there in 1934.
Today, the airport is the busiest in Vermont, with 100 times the traffic of the second-busiest, Rutland–Southern Vermont Regional Airport. It is the only airport in the state offering mainline commercial service and is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2021–2025.
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Frequently asked questions
Burlington Municipal Airport—Vermont's Aerodrome—was formally recognized at a dedication ceremony on September 22, 1921, by Governor Hartness, a pilot himself.
Captain Hubert Stanford Broad, a World War I pilot, was the first to land at Burlington Municipal Airport on August 14, 1920.
In 2023, the airport was renamed to honour former U.S. senator Patrick Leahy and is now called the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport.
