Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is Celebrating 75 years of Service between October 2010 and March 13, 2011.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the modern gateway to the City of Phoenix and the greater metro area. It had it's start in 1928 when Scenic Airlines General Manager J. Parker Van Zandt purchased land for the airline. Following improvements, the stock market crash of 1929 and other factors, the City of Phoenix reluctantly purchased the property in 1935 for $100,000.00. Locally, at the time, it was so far away from the city is was called "the farm." Below are some of the significant milestones in Sky Harbor's history.
On Nov. 11, 1935, the city held a dedication for the airport and the celebration followed. No one envisioned at the time the Sky Harbor would become one of the 10 busiest airports in the US these 75 years later.
Through the years many improvements were made to the facilities. Often these were the first types of service offered in modern aviation. In 1938, couples would fly into Phoenix and get married at the chapel at the old North Terminal. At the time, Arizona didn't have a 3-day waiting period to get married. As the market grew, Sky Harbor was declared the busiest US airport in 1948 by the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
In 1949, the Arizona National Guard arrived at Sky Harbor and leased space for 99 years. They have been an active presence at the airport ever since.
By 1952, Terminal 1, constructed at a cost of $835,000, was opened as one of the most modern and efficient passenger terminals of the day. Can you imagine deplaning on the tarmac in the Phoenix summer and walking down a boarding platform with NO AIR CONDITIONING? That was the norm in those days. Oh, and your luggage was also picked up on an outside platform. You may laugh, but my first landing in Phoenix was at Terminal 1.
By 1962, Terminal 2, had opened and Phoenix reached it's first 1,000,000 passenger count. Continued growth of the valley and Phoenix led to the construction of Terminal 3, which cost $35 million to construct along with a $13 million parking garage and was opened in 1979.
Continued growth in the metro area prompted Phoenix to create the largest structural capital improvement project in the city at a cost of $248 million for Terminal 4 which had five concourses and 44 gates when it open in 1990. In 1991, Terminal 4 handled 15.4 million passengers or 70% of Sky Harbor traffic. Terminal 1 was demolished and the remaining terminals were NOT renumbered.
1997 saw remodeling of Terminal 3; 1998, construction of the sixth concourse at Terminal 4; 2005, construction of the 7th concourse at Terminal 4; 2007, Terminal 2 remodeled and the new, 324 foot tall control tower. Current construction ongoing is Phase One of the Phx Sky Train.
Sky Harbor has a major impact on the local economy. The airport employs over 33,000 people for a $1.7 billion dollar payroll and over $8.2 billion direct economic impact. It is a major employment center in and about the airport and the Phoenix gateway to millions of travelers every year. Additional information can be obtained from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and the City of Phoenix Transportation and Sky Harbor websites. Also visit the displays in Terminal 3 the next time you are at Sky Harbor.
Join me and the many residents of Phoenix and the surrounding metro area as we share the events because Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is Celebrating 75 years of Service between October 2010 and March 13, 2011.
