Airport Movie Filming Locations: Behind The Scenes

The 1970 film Airport, starring Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin, was mostly filmed at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. The film is about an airport manager trying to keep his airport open during a snowstorm while a suicide bomber plots to blow up a plane in flight. The fictional Lincoln International Airport near Chicago was hit by a severe snowstorm, and so the Minneapolis location was chosen for its notoriously cold winters. However, the weather remained clear during filming, and plastic snow had to be used to create the desired effect.

Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport

The 1970 film Airport was mostly filmed at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. A terminal display at the airport mentions that "Minnesota's legendary winters attracted Hollywood here in 1969, when portions of the film Airport were shot in the terminal and on the field." However, the weather remained stubbornly clear, and the director had to use plastic 'snow' to create the appropriate effect.

In addition to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, some parts of the film were also shot at Stage 28, Universal Studios, in Universal City, California, USA.

Universal Studios

The expensive set built to represent the full interior of the Boeing 707 aircraft was constructed at Universal Studios. This set remained standing and was later joined by a more expensive airliner set, the front half of a 747 interior constructed in 1974 for "Airport 1975." These two sets became known as "Stage 747" on the Universal Studios lot and were extensively used in other Universal films and television series. The 707 set, for example, was used in "The Andromeda Strain" and in series like "Ironside."

The sets were amortised over multiple productions and were eventually removed around 2002, with the space being converted into a workshop.

Chicago's Lincoln International Airport

Lincoln International Airport, the setting of the 1970 film 'Airport', is a fictional airport near Chicago. However, the film was not actually shot in Chicago but in Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, Minnesota.

The film is an American air disaster drama starring Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin. It is based on Arthur Hailey's 1968 novel and originated the 1970s disaster film genre.

The plot of 'Airport' centres on an airport manager attempting to keep the fictional Lincoln International Airport open during a snowstorm, while a suicide bomber plans to blow up a plane in flight. The film explores the response to the snowstorm, environmental concerns, and the attempted bombing, with personal stories intertwining as decisions are made by various airport staff and authorities.

The film was a commercial success, surpassing Spartacus as Universal Pictures' biggest moneymaker at the time. It won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Helen Hayes' role as an elderly stowaway and was nominated for nine other Academy Awards.

The success of 'Airport' led to three sequels, with George Kennedy appearing in all four films as the character Joe Patroni.

On set

The 1970 film Airport was mostly filmed at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. A display in the terminal explains:

> Minnesota's legendary winters attracted Hollywood here in 1969, when portions of the film Airport were shot in the terminal and on the field. The weather remained stubbornly clear, however, forcing the director to use plastic 'snow' to create the appropriate effect.

The film was also shot at Stage 28, Universal Studios, in Universal City, California.

The set built to represent the full interior of the 707 was left standing at Universal Studios. It was eventually joined with a set for a 747 interior, built in 1974 for Airport 1975. These two sets became known as "Stage 747" and were used extensively in other Universal films and TV series.

In the snow

The 1970 film Airport, starring Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin, was filmed during a snowstorm at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. The film is about an airport manager trying to keep his airport open during a snowstorm while a suicide bomber plots to blow up a plane in flight.

The snow was so severe that Trans Global Airlines (TGA) Flight 45's crew misjudged their turn from Runway 29 onto the taxiway, and the plane got stuck in the snow. This caused the runway's closure.

Despite the snowstorm, the weather remained stubbornly clear, and the director had to use plastic 'snow' to create the appropriate effect.

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