Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Encyclopedia
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is a Class B
international airport
serving Greater St. Louis. It is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of downtown St. Louis
in unincorporated St. Louis County
between Berkeley
and Bridgeton
. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state with 250 daily departures to more than 88 domestic and international locations. In 2010 12.3 million passengers traveled through the airport.
Named for Albert Bond Lambert
, an Olympic
medalist and manufacturer of Listerine, the airport rose to international prominence in the 20th century due to many factors including an association with Charles Lindbergh
, the development of the first air traffic control
system at the airport, hub status of Trans World Airlines
and an iconic terminal designed by Minoru Yamasaki
which later inspired the designs of terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport
in New York City
and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in France
.
With the bankruptcy of TWA
and later buyout from American Airlines
, passenger traffic in 2001 was severely affected. In 2011 the airport was faced with further adversity when an F4
tornado
directly struck the airport causing significant property damage and lead the closing of an entire concourse. The airport, however, continues to make passenger traffic gains in 2010 and 2011.
The airport was originally a balloon
launching base named Kinloch Field which was part of the 1890s Kinloch Park
suburban development. The Wright brothers
and their Exhibition Team
visited the field while touring with their aircraft. During a visit to St. Louis, Theodore Roosevelt
flew with pilot Arch Hoxsey on October 11, 1910, becoming the first U.S. president to fly. Later, Kinloch hosted the first experimental parachute jump.
In June 1920 the Aero Club of St. Louis leased 170 acres of cornfield, the defunct Kinloch Racing Track and the Kinloch Airfield in October 1923, during The International Air Races. The field was officially dedicated as Lambert-St. Louis Flying Field in honor of Albert Bond Lambert
, an Olympic silver medalist golfer in the 1904 Summer Games, president of Lambert Pharmaceutical Corporation (which made Listerine), and the first person to receive a pilot's license in St. Louis. In February 1925, "Major" (his 'rank' was given by the Aero Club and not the military) Lambert, bought the field and added hangars and a passenger terminal. Charles Lindbergh
's first piloting job was flying airmail for Robertson Airlines from Lambert Field; he left the airport for New York
about a week before his record-breaking flight to Paris
in 1927. Later that year, Lambert sold the airport to the City of St. Louis, making it the first municipally
In the late 1920s, Lambert Field became the first airport with an air traffic control
system—albeit one that communicated with pilots via waving flags. The first controller was Archie League
.
and an active duty installation during World War II, it later became a postwar Naval Air Reserve
installation operating carrier-based fighter and land-based patrol aircraft. Following its closure, most of the NAS St. Louis facilities were acquired by the Missouri Air National Guard
and became Lambert Field Air National Guard Base. A portion of the naval air station's support facilities not taken by the Air National Guard
were retained by non-flying activities of the Naval Reserve
and Marine Corps Reserve
, while the remaining former NAS St. Louis real estate was redeveloped for commercial airline expansion of St. Louis International Airport.
Before World War II, Robertson Airlines, Marquette Airlines
, and Eastern Air Lines
provided passenger service to St. Louis. During the war, the airport became a manufacturing base for McDonnell Aircraft
and Curtiss-Wright
. After the war, Minoru Yamasaki
was commissioned to design a new passenger terminal at Lambert. Completed in 1956, the four-domed design inspired terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport
in New York City
and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.
In the 1970s, St. Louis city officials proposed to replace the airport with a new one in suburban Illinois. But after Missouri residents objected, Lambert received a $290-million expansion that lengthened the runways, increased the number of gates to 81, and boosted its operational capacity by 50 percent. (A proposed Illinois airport was later built anyway, though not anywhere near the originally proposed site; MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
opened in 1997 in Mascoutah, Illinois
. As of 2010, no major carriers provide service there.)
(TWA) moved its hub
from Kansas City International Airport
. The move made TWA the dominant carrier at Lambert, and turned the St. Louis airport into one of the busiest in the country. The airport grew in importance for TWA after the airline declared bankruptcy in 1993; by the late 1990s, it was the airline's dominant hub. But the airport's influence waned after American Airlines
(AA) bought TWA and merged the airlines' flight operations in 2001. Lambert became a reliever for AA's existing hubs at Chicago O'Hare
and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and transatlantic service was discontinued. AA transferred many mainline TWA routes to American Connection, a group of affiliated regional carriers. After the 2003 cutbacks, AA introduced American Eagle service at its St. Louis hub in May 2005. Unlike American Connection, American Eagle is wholly owned by AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines and American Eagle.
announced plans to turn the 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard
into the 131st Bomb Wing. The wing's 20 F-15C and F-15D aircraft were moved to the Montana Air National Guard
's 120th Fighter Wing
at Great Falls International Airport
/Air National Guard Base, Montana
and the Hawaii Air National Guard
's 154th Wing
at Hickam AFB, Hawaii
. The pilots and maintainers moved to Whiteman AFB, Missouri to fly and maintain the B-2 Spirit
stealth bomber as the first Air National Guard
wing to fly the aircraft. Lambert Field Air National Guard Base formally shut down in June 2009, when the final two F-15C Eagles did a low approach over the field, then flew away. The event was attended by more than 2,200 people who said goodbye to a part of airport history for over 85 years.
As of 2009, Concourse D, previously used by Ozark and later TWA, was largely empty and closed off; Concourse B had limited traffic; and the distal portion of Concourse C was not used for commercial traffic. In September 2009, American Airlines announced that, as a part of the airline's restructuring, it will reduce its operations to 36 daily flights to nine destinations in the summer of 2010. These cuts will end the remaining hub operation.
On October 21, 2009, Southwest Airlines
announced that the airline will increase service with a "major expansion" in St. Louis by May 2010. The airline will increase service to 83 daily departures from St. Louis, replacing American as the carrier with the most daily flights after American's service cuts scheduled for Summer 2010.
Delta Air Lines is the airport's second-busiest operating airline.
tornado struck the airport's Terminal 1, destroying jetways and breaking more than half of the windows. One plane from Southwest Airlines was damaged when the wind pushed a baggage conveyor belt into it. Four American Airlines planes were damaged, including one that was buffeted by 80 mph crosswinds while taxiing after landing. One aircraft, with passengers still aboard, was moved away from its jetway by the storm. The FAA
closed the airport on April 22 at 08:54 pm CDT, then reopened it the following day at temporarily lower capacity.
Due to the extensive damage sustained to Concourse C, airline operations in that part of the airport were moved to vacant gates in the B and D concourses. AirTran, American, Cape Air, and Frontier experienced the greatest impact from this change. Airport officials predict that it may take until mid-2012 to completely recover from the tornado-inflicted damage.
Later in the year the TSA
honored Lambert Airport with the "Airport of the Year" award. It was given for "exceptional courtesy, high quality security" and recognized the excellent response by airport officials during and after the tornado.
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport covers 2800 acres (1,133 ha) and has four runways:
's Red Line. One-ride and all-day tickets can be purchased from vending machines on the platforms. MetroLink lines provide direct or indirect service to downtown St. Louis
, the Clayton
area, and Illinois suburbs in St. Clair County
.
lines serve the Lambert Bus Port, which is located next to the intermediate parking lot, and accessible via the tunnel from Terminal 1:
Lambert's USO
facility, located on the lower level of the Main Terminal next to baggage claim carousel #M6, is one of the largest in the country. Open 24 hours a day, it serves more than 120,000 military men and women each year.
, Eugene Bullard
, Bessie Coleman
, and Willa Brown (first African American woman commercial pilot in United States). The second panel shows Benjamin O. Davis Jr., Clarence "Lucky" Lester and Joseph Ellesberry. The third panel shows Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James, Capt. Ronald Radliff, and Capt. Marcella Hayes. The fourth and fifth panels show Ronald McNair
, who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
in 1986, Guion Bluford
, who in 1983 became the first African American in space, and Mae Jemison
, the first African America woman in space. Spencer Taylor and Solomon Thurman created the mural in 1990.
hang from Lambert's ceilings. The first is a 1934 Monocoupe D-145
near the Terminal 1 security checkpoint. Charles Lindbergh bought it in 1934 from the Lambert Aircraft Corporation and flew it as his personal plane. The second aircraft, a red Monocoupe 110 Special
, manufactured in St. Louis in 1931, hangs in Terminal 2. Until 1998, a Ryan B-1 Brougham
, a replica of the Spirit of St. Louis
, hung next to the D-145.
, which built its world headquarters and principal assembly plant next to the airport; and now by Boeing, which bought McDonnell and now uses its St. Louis facilities as headquarters for its Boeing Defense, Space & Security division. The plant currently builds the F-15 Strike Eagle, F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18 Growler; and is home to Boeing Phantom Works
.
had its corporate headquarters on the property of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport prior the purchase by TWA.
(a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines
) was reported to be considering a cargo hub at Lambert as part of its international cargo and passenger service expansion. Lambert was considered an attractive option as runway 11/29 would accommodate the large cargo aircraft and the decline in passenger service during the first decade of the 2000s reduced congestion-related logistical issues of busier airports such as Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Negotiations led to the development of the public-private Midwest-China Hub Commission
in 2009, which was tasked with developing the plan for implementation. Planners for the cargo hub envisioned St. Louis as an Aerotropolis
, an urban form whose layout, infrastructure, and economy is centered on an airport, offering its businesses speedy connectivity to suppliers, customers, and enterprise partners worldwide. Negotiations with the Chinese ambassador Zhou Wenzhong
, China's Minister of Foreign Affairs Li Zhaoxing
, Missouri Senators Kit Bond
and Claire McCaskill
and business leaders from the St. Louis region continued over the next two years. The United States Department of Commerce
allowed expansion of the foreign trade zone near Lambert airport on February 13, 2009.
In 2011, the "Aerotropolis Tax Credit" was introduced into the Missouri Senate. The bill provides $360 millon dollars of tax incentives to freight forwarders and for the development of warehouses, cold storage facilities and transportation connections in so-called "Gateway Zones," foreign trade zones located within 50 miles of St. Louis. The bill will be voted on in a special session of the Missouri General Assembly
in September 2011.
On September 23, 2011, the first China Cargo Airlines flight arrived from Shanghai-Pudong. The Boeing 777 aircraft is the first flight for St. Louis' new China Eastern/China Cargo Hub.
by American Airlines
and the subsequent elimination of hub status and a regional population growth slower than the national average.
These factors led to the planning and construction of a 9,000-foot runway, dubbed Runway 11/29, parallel to the two larger existing runways. The project was the costliest public works program in St. Louis history at $1.1 billion dollars. It required the relocation of seven major roads and the destruction of about 2,000 homes, six churches and four schools in Bridgeton, Missouri
. Construction began in 1998, and continued even as traffic at the airport declined after the 9/11 attacks, the purchase of Trans World Airlines
by American Airlines
in April 2001, and American's 2003 reduction in flights. On April 13, 2006, American Airlines Flight 2470 became the first commercial airliner to land on the new runway.
Since the construction, the runway has been shunned by fuel- and time-conscious airlines because it is farther from terminals than the older runways; an estimated 5% of flights use it.
Airspace class (United States)
The United States airspace system's classification scheme is to provide maximum pilot flexibility with acceptable levels of risk appropriate to the type of operation and traffic density within that class of airspace - in particular to provide separation and active control in areas of dense or...
international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
serving Greater St. Louis. It is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of downtown St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in unincorporated St. Louis County
St. Louis County, Missouri
St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area wherein the independent City of St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois all...
between Berkeley
Berkeley, Missouri
Berkeley is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,978 at the 2010 census. Portions of Lambert-St...
and Bridgeton
Bridgeton, Missouri
Bridgeton is a city in northwestern St. Louis County, Missouri, serving as a suburb and transport hub within Greater St. Louis. The population at the 2010 census was 11,550. Portions of Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport are within Bridgeton.-Location:...
. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state with 250 daily departures to more than 88 domestic and international locations. In 2010 12.3 million passengers traveled through the airport.
Named for Albert Bond Lambert
Albert Bond Lambert
Albert Bond Lambert was an American golfer who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics and in the 1904 Summer Olympics.He was also a prominent St. Louis aviator and benefactor of aviation.-Early life:...
, an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
medalist and manufacturer of Listerine, the airport rose to international prominence in the 20th century due to many factors including an association with Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
, the development of the first air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
system at the airport, hub status of Trans World Airlines
Twa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
and an iconic terminal designed by Minoru Yamasaki
Minoru Yamasaki
was a Japanese-American architect, best known for his design of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, buildings 1 and 2. Yamasaki was one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century...
which later inspired the designs of terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
With the bankruptcy of TWA
Twa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
and later buyout from American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, passenger traffic in 2001 was severely affected. In 2011 the airport was faced with further adversity when an F4
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
tornado
2011 St. Louis tornado
The 2011 St. Louis tornado, also called the Good Friday Tornado, was a storm that struck the St. Louis metropolitan area on April 22, 2011. The tornado, rated EF4 at its strongest point with winds exceeding 165 mph, was the strongest to hit St. Louis County or City since January 1967. In its...
directly struck the airport causing significant property damage and lead the closing of an entire concourse. The airport, however, continues to make passenger traffic gains in 2010 and 2011.
History
Balloon
A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
launching base named Kinloch Field which was part of the 1890s Kinloch Park
Kinloch, Missouri
Kinloch is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 298 at the 2010 census.Kinloch is the oldest African-American community to be incorporated in the state of Missouri and was home to a vibrant and flourishing black community for much of the 19th and 20th century. It...
suburban development. The Wright brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
and their Exhibition Team
Wright Exhibition Team
The Wright Exhibition Team was a group of early aviators trained by the Wright brothers at Wright Flying School in Montgomery, Alabama in March 1910.-History:The group was formed in 1910 at the suggestion of Augustus Roy Knabenshue....
visited the field while touring with their aircraft. During a visit to St. Louis, Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
flew with pilot Arch Hoxsey on October 11, 1910, becoming the first U.S. president to fly. Later, Kinloch hosted the first experimental parachute jump.
In June 1920 the Aero Club of St. Louis leased 170 acres of cornfield, the defunct Kinloch Racing Track and the Kinloch Airfield in October 1923, during The International Air Races. The field was officially dedicated as Lambert-St. Louis Flying Field in honor of Albert Bond Lambert
Albert Bond Lambert
Albert Bond Lambert was an American golfer who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics and in the 1904 Summer Olympics.He was also a prominent St. Louis aviator and benefactor of aviation.-Early life:...
, an Olympic silver medalist golfer in the 1904 Summer Games, president of Lambert Pharmaceutical Corporation (which made Listerine), and the first person to receive a pilot's license in St. Louis. In February 1925, "Major" (his 'rank' was given by the Aero Club and not the military) Lambert, bought the field and added hangars and a passenger terminal. Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
's first piloting job was flying airmail for Robertson Airlines from Lambert Field; he left the airport for New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
about a week before his record-breaking flight to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1927. Later that year, Lambert sold the airport to the City of St. Louis, making it the first municipally
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
In the late 1920s, Lambert Field became the first airport with an air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
system—albeit one that communicated with pilots via waving flags. The first controller was Archie League
Archie League
Archie William League is generally considered the first air traffic controller.League had been a licensed pilot, and licensed engine and aircraft mechanic. He had barnstormed around in Missouri and Illinois with his "flying circus," prior to St. Louis hiring him as the first U.S. air traffic...
.
Naval Air Station St. Louis
From 1925 to 1958, the airport was also home to Naval Air Station St. Louis. Designated as a Naval Reserve Air Base prior to World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and an active duty installation during World War II, it later became a postwar Naval Air Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
installation operating carrier-based fighter and land-based patrol aircraft. Following its closure, most of the NAS St. Louis facilities were acquired by the Missouri Air National Guard
Missouri Air National Guard
The Missouri Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Missouri. It is, along with the Missouri Army National Guard, an element of the Missouri National Guard...
and became Lambert Field Air National Guard Base. A portion of the naval air station's support facilities not taken by the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
were retained by non-flying activities of the Naval Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
and Marine Corps Reserve
United States Marine Corps Reserve
The Marine Forces Reserve is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command in the U.S...
, while the remaining former NAS St. Louis real estate was redeveloped for commercial airline expansion of St. Louis International Airport.
Before World War II, Robertson Airlines, Marquette Airlines
Marquette Airlines
Marquette Airlines was an airline that operated regional flights in the midwestern United States. Although it began in the 1930s, it was acquired by Trans World Airlines during World War II.- Destinations :*Detroit, Michigan*Toledo, Ohio*Dayton, Ohio...
, and Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines was a major United States airline that existed from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:...
provided passenger service to St. Louis. During the war, the airport became a manufacturing base for McDonnell Aircraft
McDonnell Aircraft
The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was founded on July 16, 1939 by James Smith McDonnell, and was best known for its military fighters, including the F-4 Phantom II, and manned spacecraft including the Mercury capsule...
and Curtiss-Wright
Curtiss-Wright
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States at the end of World War II, but has evolved to largely become a component manufacturer, specializing in actuators, aircraft controls, valves, and metalworking....
. After the war, Minoru Yamasaki
Minoru Yamasaki
was a Japanese-American architect, best known for his design of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, buildings 1 and 2. Yamasaki was one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century...
was commissioned to design a new passenger terminal at Lambert. Completed in 1956, the four-domed design inspired terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.
After World War II
The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows TWA with 44 weekday departures; American, 24; Delta, 16; Ozark, 14; Eastern, 13; Braniff, six, and Central, two.In the 1970s, St. Louis city officials proposed to replace the airport with a new one in suburban Illinois. But after Missouri residents objected, Lambert received a $290-million expansion that lengthened the runways, increased the number of gates to 81, and boosted its operational capacity by 50 percent. (A proposed Illinois airport was later built anyway, though not anywhere near the originally proposed site; MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is an airport co-located on the grounds of Scott Air Force Base. MidAmerica has operated as a Joint Use Airport since beginning operations in November 1997 and has not been served by any commercial airlines since Allegiant Air pulled out of the airport on January 3,...
opened in 1997 in Mascoutah, Illinois
Mascoutah, Illinois
Mascoutah is a small town in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,483 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Mascoutah is located at ....
. As of 2010, no major carriers provide service there.)
TWA era
In 1982, Trans World AirlinesTrans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
(TWA) moved its hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
from Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport , originally named Mid-Continent International Airport, is a public airport located 15 miles northwest of the central business district of Kansas City, in Platte County, Missouri, United States. In 2008, 10,469,892 passengers used the airport...
. The move made TWA the dominant carrier at Lambert, and turned the St. Louis airport into one of the busiest in the country. The airport grew in importance for TWA after the airline declared bankruptcy in 1993; by the late 1990s, it was the airline's dominant hub. But the airport's influence waned after American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
(AA) bought TWA and merged the airlines' flight operations in 2001. Lambert became a reliever for AA's existing hubs at Chicago O'Hare
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and transatlantic service was discontinued. AA transferred many mainline TWA routes to American Connection, a group of affiliated regional carriers. After the 2003 cutbacks, AA introduced American Eagle service at its St. Louis hub in May 2005. Unlike American Connection, American Eagle is wholly owned by AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines and American Eagle.
2006–present
In 2006, the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
announced plans to turn the 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard
Missouri Air National Guard
The Missouri Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Missouri. It is, along with the Missouri Army National Guard, an element of the Missouri National Guard...
into the 131st Bomb Wing. The wing's 20 F-15C and F-15D aircraft were moved to the Montana Air National Guard
Montana Air National Guard
The Montana Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Montana. It is, along with the Montana Army National Guard, an element of the Montana National Guard.-120th Fighter Wing:...
's 120th Fighter Wing
120th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 120th Fighter Wing is a unit located at Great Falls International Airport, Montana.-Mission:The 120th Fighter Wing, as part of the Montana Air National Guard,serves a dual mission:...
at Great Falls International Airport
Great Falls International Airport
Great Falls International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located within city limits, three miles southwest of central Great Falls in Cascade County, Montana, USA...
/Air National Guard Base, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and the Hawaii Air National Guard
Hawaii Air National Guard
The Hawaii Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is, along with the Hawaii Army National Guard, an element of the Hawaii National Guard...
's 154th Wing
154th Wing
The United States Air Force 154th Wing is the operational component of the Hawaii Air National Guard. It is stationed at Hickam Field, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.-Overview:...
at Hickam AFB, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The pilots and maintainers moved to Whiteman AFB, Missouri to fly and maintain the B-2 Spirit
B-2 Spirit
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is an American heavy bomber with low observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to eighty -class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen ...
stealth bomber as the first Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
wing to fly the aircraft. Lambert Field Air National Guard Base formally shut down in June 2009, when the final two F-15C Eagles did a low approach over the field, then flew away. The event was attended by more than 2,200 people who said goodbye to a part of airport history for over 85 years.
As of 2009, Concourse D, previously used by Ozark and later TWA, was largely empty and closed off; Concourse B had limited traffic; and the distal portion of Concourse C was not used for commercial traffic. In September 2009, American Airlines announced that, as a part of the airline's restructuring, it will reduce its operations to 36 daily flights to nine destinations in the summer of 2010. These cuts will end the remaining hub operation.
On October 21, 2009, Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
announced that the airline will increase service with a "major expansion" in St. Louis by May 2010. The airline will increase service to 83 daily departures from St. Louis, replacing American as the carrier with the most daily flights after American's service cuts scheduled for Summer 2010.
Delta Air Lines is the airport's second-busiest operating airline.
2011 St. Louis tornado
About 8:10 p.m. on April 22, 2011, a EF4Enhanced Fujita Scale
The Enhanced Fujita Scale rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States based on the damage they cause.Implemented in place of the Fujita scale introduced in 1971 by Ted Fujita, it began operational use on February 1, 2007. The scale has the same basic design as the original Fujita scale:...
tornado struck the airport's Terminal 1, destroying jetways and breaking more than half of the windows. One plane from Southwest Airlines was damaged when the wind pushed a baggage conveyor belt into it. Four American Airlines planes were damaged, including one that was buffeted by 80 mph crosswinds while taxiing after landing. One aircraft, with passengers still aboard, was moved away from its jetway by the storm. The FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
closed the airport on April 22 at 08:54 pm CDT, then reopened it the following day at temporarily lower capacity.
Due to the extensive damage sustained to Concourse C, airline operations in that part of the airport were moved to vacant gates in the B and D concourses. AirTran, American, Cape Air, and Frontier experienced the greatest impact from this change. Airport officials predict that it may take until mid-2012 to completely recover from the tornado-inflicted damage.
Later in the year the TSA
TSA
TSA most often refers to:* Transportation Security Administration, in the United States Department of Homeland Security* Tourette Syndrome Association, advocacy organizationbut may also refer to:- Organizations :...
honored Lambert Airport with the "Airport of the Year" award. It was given for "exceptional courtesy, high quality security" and recognized the excellent response by airport officials during and after the tornado.
Runways
- Runway 12R/30L: 11,019 x 200 ft (3,359 x 61 m), Surface: ConcreteConcreteConcrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
- Runway 12L/30R: 9,003 x 150 ft (2,744 x 46 m), Surface: Concrete
- Runway 11/29: 9,000 x 150 ft (2,743 x 46 m), Surface: Concrete
- Runway 6/24: 7,602 x 150 ft (2,317 x 46 m), Surface: Concrete
Terminals
The airport has two terminals with a total of 5 concourses. International flights and passengers use Terminal 2, whose lower level holds the Immigration and Customs gates. Passengers can move between the terminals on complimentary buses that run continuously, or via MetroLink. It is possible to walk between the terminals via Concourse D, however connection was blocked in 2008 with the closure of Concourse D.Terminal 1 (formerly Main Terminal)
- Concourse A: Gates A2–A6, A8–A10, A12, A14–A19, A21
- Concourse B: Gates B2–B4, B6–B8, B10, B12, B14, B16
- Concourse C: Gates C1–C3, C5–C10, C12, C15–C19, C21, C23–C25, C27–C32, C36, C38
- Note: This concourse is closed for repair which is estimated to take until 2012
- Concourse D: Gates D2, D4, D6, D8, D10, D14, D16, D18, D20, D22
- Note: 12 gates of this concourse were closed as a cost-saving measure in 2008. It was reopened in 2011 for flights displaced from Concourse C.
Terminal 2 (formerly East Terminal)
- Concourse E: Gates E4, E6, E8, E10, E12, E14, E16, E18, E20, E22, E24, E25, E29, E31, E33.
Metro Rail / Subway
Each of the airport's terminals has a rail station with direct trains to downtown St. Louis on MetroLinkSt. Louis Metrolink
MetroLink is the light rail transit system in the Greater St. Louis area of Missouri and the Metro East area of Illinois. The entire system currently consists of two lines connecting Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and Shrewsbury, MO with Scott Air Force Base near Shiloh, Illinois through...
's Red Line. One-ride and all-day tickets can be purchased from vending machines on the platforms. MetroLink lines provide direct or indirect service to downtown St. Louis
Downtown St. Louis
Downtown St. Louis is the central business district of St. Louis, Missouri, the hub of tourism and entertainment, and the anchor of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The downtown is bounded by Cole Street to the north, the river front to the east, Chouteau Avenue to the south, and Jefferson Avenue...
, the Clayton
Clayton, Missouri
Clayton is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis and the county seat of St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 15,939 at the 2010 census. The city was organized in 1877 and is named after Ralph Clayton, who donated the land for the courthouse.-Geography:...
area, and Illinois suburbs in St. Clair County
St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is...
.
MetroBus
Two MetroBusBi-State Development Agency
The Bi-State Development Agency is an interstate compact formed by Missouri and Illinois in 1949. Since February 2003 the agency has been doing business as Metro. It operates with a budget of $160 million, which is funded by sales taxes from the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, the St...
lines serve the Lambert Bus Port, which is located next to the intermediate parking lot, and accessible via the tunnel from Terminal 1:
- 49 Lindbergh
- 66 Clayton-Airport
Airline lounges
The American Airlines Admirals Club at the B/C/D connector is large for its type, with seating for 244. It has a bar/snack area, basic ticketing functions, espresso bar, three private conference rooms, and complimentary use of six PCs, dataports, copier, printer and paper shredder. This club was significantly damaged in the 2011 tornado and a temporary location is operating out of the former Cheers location in D Concourse.Lambert's USO
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
facility, located on the lower level of the Main Terminal next to baggage claim carousel #M6, is one of the largest in the country. Open 24 hours a day, it serves more than 120,000 military men and women each year.
Black Americans in Flight mural
Black Americans in Flight is a mural that depicts African American aviators and their contributions to aviation since 1917. It is located in Terminal 1 / Main Terminal on the lower level near the entrance to gates C and D and baggage claim. The mural consists of five panels and measures 8 feet tall and 51 feet long. The first panel includes the Tuskegee Institute and the Tuskegee AirmenTuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
, Eugene Bullard
Eugene Bullard
Eugene Jacques Bullard was the first black military pilot and the only black pilot in World War I along with Ahmet Ali .-Early life:...
, Bessie Coleman
Bessie Coleman
Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman was an American civil aviator. She was the first female pilot of African American descent and the first person of African American descent to hold an international pilot license.-Early life:...
, and Willa Brown (first African American woman commercial pilot in United States). The second panel shows Benjamin O. Davis Jr., Clarence "Lucky" Lester and Joseph Ellesberry. The third panel shows Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James, Capt. Ronald Radliff, and Capt. Marcella Hayes. The fourth and fifth panels show Ronald McNair
Ronald McNair
Ronald Ervin McNair, Ph.D. was a physicist and NASA astronaut. McNair died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L.-Background:...
, who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. The spacecraft disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida at 11:38 am EST...
in 1986, Guion Bluford
Guion Bluford
Guion Stewart “Guy” Bluford, Jr. , is an engineer, retired Colonel from the United States Air Force and a former NASA Astronaut. He participated in four Space Shuttle flights between 1983 and 1992...
, who in 1983 became the first African American in space, and Mae Jemison
Mae Jemison
Mae Carol Jemison is an American physician and NASA astronaut. She became the first black woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992.-Early years:...
, the first African America woman in space. Spencer Taylor and Solomon Thurman created the mural in 1990.
Aircraft on display
Two aircraft from the Missouri History MuseumMissouri History Museum
The Missouri History Museum is located in St. Louis, Missouri in Forest Park. The museum is operated by the Missouri Historical Society and was founded in 1866...
hang from Lambert's ceilings. The first is a 1934 Monocoupe D-145
Monocoupe 90
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bell, Dana ed. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Directory of Airplanes their Designers and Manufacturers. Stackpole Books Mechanicsburg, PA, 2002. ISBN 1853674907....
near the Terminal 1 security checkpoint. Charles Lindbergh bought it in 1934 from the Lambert Aircraft Corporation and flew it as his personal plane. The second aircraft, a red Monocoupe 110 Special
Monocoupe 90
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bell, Dana ed. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Directory of Airplanes their Designers and Manufacturers. Stackpole Books Mechanicsburg, PA, 2002. ISBN 1853674907....
, manufactured in St. Louis in 1931, hangs in Terminal 2. Until 1998, a Ryan B-1 Brougham
Ryan Brougham
The Ryan Brougham was a small single-engine airliner produced in the United States in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Its design was reminiscent of the M-1 mailplane first produced by Ryan in 1926, and like it, was a high-wing, strut-braced monoplane of conventional design.-Design and...
, a replica of the Spirit of St. Louis
Spirit of St. Louis
The Spirit of St. Louis is the custom-built, single engine, single-seat monoplane that was flown solo by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris for which Lindbergh won the $25,000 Orteig Prize.Lindbergh took off in the Spirit from Roosevelt...
, hung next to the D-145.
Aircraft production
Lambert's runways have long been used for test flights and deliveries of military aircraft by McDonnell DouglasMcDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
, which built its world headquarters and principal assembly plant next to the airport; and now by Boeing, which bought McDonnell and now uses its St. Louis facilities as headquarters for its Boeing Defense, Space & Security division. The plant currently builds the F-15 Strike Eagle, F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18 Growler; and is home to Boeing Phantom Works
Boeing Phantom Works
The Phantom Works division is the advanced prototyping arm of the Defense and Security side of The Boeing Company. Its primary focus is developing advanced military products and technologies, many of them highly classified, and has produced breakthroughs in defense, space and security.Founded by...
.
Other facilities
Ozark Air LinesOzark Air Lines
Ozark Air Lines was a commercial airline that operated in the United States from 1950 until 1986, when it was purchased by Trans World Airlines. A second, smaller airline by that same name operated in 2000-2001. Ozark, from 1950 until 1986, had its headquarters on the grounds of Lambert-St. Louis...
had its corporate headquarters on the property of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport prior the purchase by TWA.
Cargo
China Cargo Hub and Aerotropolis
In 2008, China Cargo AirlinesChina Cargo Airlines
China Cargo Airlines sometimes as abbreviated 中货航, is a cargo airline based in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It is China's first all-cargo airline operating dedicated freight services using China Eastern Airlines route structure...
(a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines
China Eastern Airlines
China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited is an airline headquartered on the grounds of Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in Changning District, Shanghai, China. It is a major Chinese airline operating international, domestic and regional routes. Its main hubs are at Shanghai Pudong...
) was reported to be considering a cargo hub at Lambert as part of its international cargo and passenger service expansion. Lambert was considered an attractive option as runway 11/29 would accommodate the large cargo aircraft and the decline in passenger service during the first decade of the 2000s reduced congestion-related logistical issues of busier airports such as Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Negotiations led to the development of the public-private Midwest-China Hub Commission
Midwest-China Hub Commission
The Midwest-China Hub Commission is a public-private trade collaboration among St. Louis and Missouri governmental officials, business associates and China.-History:...
in 2009, which was tasked with developing the plan for implementation. Planners for the cargo hub envisioned St. Louis as an Aerotropolis
Aerotropolis
An aerotropolis is an urban form whose layout, infrastructure, and economy is centered on an airport, offering its businesses speedy connectivity to suppliers, customers, and enterprise partners worldwide. Many of these businesses are much more dependent on distant suppliers or customers than to...
, an urban form whose layout, infrastructure, and economy is centered on an airport, offering its businesses speedy connectivity to suppliers, customers, and enterprise partners worldwide. Negotiations with the Chinese ambassador Zhou Wenzhong
Zhou Wenzhong
Zhou Wenzhong is a Chinese diplomat and fomer ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the United States of America from March 2005 to 2010.-Biography:...
, China's Minister of Foreign Affairs Li Zhaoxing
Li Zhaoxing
Li Zhaoxing is a former foreign minister of the People's Republic of China. He held that office from 2003 to 2007.He graduated from Peking University in 1964...
, Missouri Senators Kit Bond
Kit Bond
Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, he defeated Democrat Harriett Woods by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004...
and Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill
Claire Conner McCaskill is the senior United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. She defeated Republican incumbent Jim Talent in the 2006 U.S. Senate election, by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri in her own...
and business leaders from the St. Louis region continued over the next two years. The United States Department of Commerce
United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903...
allowed expansion of the foreign trade zone near Lambert airport on February 13, 2009.
In 2011, the "Aerotropolis Tax Credit" was introduced into the Missouri Senate. The bill provides $360 millon dollars of tax incentives to freight forwarders and for the development of warehouses, cold storage facilities and transportation connections in so-called "Gateway Zones," foreign trade zones located within 50 miles of St. Louis. The bill will be voted on in a special session of the Missouri General Assembly
Missouri General Assembly
The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate, and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to term limits...
in September 2011.
On September 23, 2011, the first China Cargo Airlines flight arrived from Shanghai-Pudong. The Boeing 777 aircraft is the first flight for St. Louis' new China Eastern/China Cargo Hub.
Passengers
Passenger traffic plummeted in the first decade of the 21st century going from a peak of 30.5 million passengers in 2000 to 12.3 million in 2010. Many factors are responsible for the drop including a general drop in air travel after the September 11 attacks, the purchase of TWATwa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
by American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
and the subsequent elimination of hub status and a regional population growth slower than the national average.
Recent Passenger Statistics
| Year | Total Passengers (enplaned and deplaned) |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 12,331,426 |
| 2009 | 12,796,302 |
| 2008 | 14,431,471 |
| 2007 | 15,384,557 |
| 2006 | 15,205,944 |
Scheduled Commercial Airlines
Specialty and Charter Airlines
Top destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chicago, IL (ORD) |
454,000 | American, United |
| 2 | .svg.png) Atlanta, GAHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States... |
423,000 | AirTran, Delta |
| 3 |  Dallas/Fort Worth, TX |
357,000 | American |
| 4 |  Denver, CODenver International Airport Denver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel... |
335,000 | Frontier, Southwest, United |
| 5 | Chicago, IL (MDW) |
259,000 | Southwest |
| 6 |  Phoenix, AZPhoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States... |
225,000 | Southwest, US Airways |
| 7 |  Minneapolis, MNMinneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.-Overview:... |
221,000 | Delta, Southwest |
| 8 | Dallas, TX (Love Field) |
216,000 | Southwest |
| 9 |  Detroit, MIDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport.... |
215,000 | Delta, Southwest |
| 10 |  Los Angeles, CALos Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually... |
185,000 | American, Southwest |
Runway 11/29
During the late 1990s, Lambert Field was ranked as the eighth-busiest U.S. airport (measured by flights, not passengers) largely due to TWA's hub operations, Southwest Airlines' growing traffic, and commuter traffic to smaller cities in the region. Congestion caused delays during peak hours and was further exacerbated when bad weather reduced the number of usable runways from three to one. To cope, Lambert officials briefly redesignated the taxiway immediately north of runway 12L–30R as runway 13–31 and used it for commuter and general aviation traffic. However, traffic projections made in the 1980s and 1990s predicted yet more growth, enough to strain the airport and the national air traffic system.These factors led to the planning and construction of a 9,000-foot runway, dubbed Runway 11/29, parallel to the two larger existing runways. The project was the costliest public works program in St. Louis history at $1.1 billion dollars. It required the relocation of seven major roads and the destruction of about 2,000 homes, six churches and four schools in Bridgeton, Missouri
Bridgeton, Missouri
Bridgeton is a city in northwestern St. Louis County, Missouri, serving as a suburb and transport hub within Greater St. Louis. The population at the 2010 census was 11,550. Portions of Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport are within Bridgeton.-Location:...
. Construction began in 1998, and continued even as traffic at the airport declined after the 9/11 attacks, the purchase of Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
by American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
in April 2001, and American's 2003 reduction in flights. On April 13, 2006, American Airlines Flight 2470 became the first commercial airliner to land on the new runway.
Since the construction, the runway has been shunned by fuel- and time-conscious airlines because it is farther from terminals than the older runways; an estimated 5% of flights use it.
21st-century renovation
In February 2007, airport officials announced the largest renovation in the airport's history: a $70 million effort, dubbed "The Airport Experience Project," to overhaul the Main Terminal. The project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2012.Completed Projects
- The domed ceiling has been completely restored with a new acoustic coating and a programmable LED lighting system.
- A new baggage carousel system has been installed which operates faster and more quietly
- The Main and East terminals were renamed Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 and signage throughout the facility was overhauled to reflect the change and to improve wayfinding
- 8 new restaurants and food vendors have been added to the terminal
Planned Projects
- Security checkpoints are being reconstructed to be more integrated and included new screening technology
- A terrazzoTerrazzoTerrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a binder that is cementitious, chemical or a combination of both...
floor will be installed throughout the terminal - Art glass screens, designed by St. Louis-area artists will be installed throughout the terminal
- A dedicated performance area, dubbed "St. Louis Stage," will be added
- Restrooms throughout the terminal will be renovated with new restrooms being added to the baggage area
Accidents
- On 9 January 1984, Douglas C-47B C-GSCA of Skycraft Air TransportSkycraft Air TransportSkycraft Air Transport Inc. was a Canadian airline based at Oshawa Municipal Airport in Oshawa, Ontario, that operated between 1979 and 1994.-History:...
crashed on take-off, killing one of its two crew members. The aircraft was on an international cargo flight to Toronto Pearson International AirportToronto Pearson International AirportToronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Both engines lost power shortly after take-off. The aircraft had been fueled with JET-A instead of 100LL.
Television
- In the "Airport" episode of the television show NewsradioNewsRadioNewsRadio is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from 1995 to 1999. The series was created by executive producer Paul Simms, and was filmed in front of a studio audience at CBS Studio Center and Sunset Gower Studios...
, bad weather keeps Bill and Dave at Lambert for the entire show. - In "The Airport" episode of the television show SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, the characters leave from Lambert.
Film
- In the 1986 movie ManhunterManhunter (film)Manhunter is a 1986 American thriller film based on Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon. Written and directed by Michael Mann, it stars William Petersen as Will Graham and features Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor...
, FBI agents fly in to Lambert during their pursuit of the killer. - In the 1987 movie Planes, Trains & AutomobilesPlanes, Trains & AutomobilesPlanes, Trains and Automobiles is a 1987 American comedy film released by Paramount Pictures. It was written, produced and directed by John Hughes...
, Neal Page (Steve MartinSteve MartinStephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
) attempts to rent a car at Lambert, with disastrous (and profanity-laden) consequences. - Part of the 1991 movie The Silence of the Lambs was shot at Lambert.
- In the 2003 movie Anger ManagementAnger ManagementAnger Management is a 2003 slapstick comedy film starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson, directed by Peter Segal and written by David S. Dorfman...
, Dave Buznik (Adam SandlerAdam SandlerAdam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
) takes a flight to Lambert. - Part of the 2006 movie The Lucky OnesThe Lucky Ones (film)The Lucky Ones is a 2008 American dramedy film with a road movie plot directed by Neil Burger. The screenplay by Burger and Dirk Wittenborn focuses on three United States Army soldiers who find themselves drawn together by unforeseen circumstances.-Plot:...
, set in Austin, Texas, was shot at Lambert. - One scene from the 2009 movie The Informant!, directed by Steven SoderberghSteven SoderberghSteven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
, was filmed at Lambert. - The 2009 movie Up in the AirUp in the Air (film)Up in the Air is a 2009 American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and co-written by Reitman and Sheldon Turner. It is a film adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name, written by Walter Kirn. The story is about a corporate downsizer Ryan Bingham and his travels...
was filmed in the St. Louis area, including in Lambert's Concourse D, between March 3 and the end of April 2009. In the film, George ClooneyGeorge ClooneyGeorge Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
references Lambert Field's rich history with the Wright BrothersWright brothersThe Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
and Charles LindberghCharles LindberghCharles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
.
See also
- Thin-shell structureThin-shell structureThin-shell structures are light weight constructions using shell elements. These elements are typically curved and are assembled to large structures...
- Missouri World War II Army AirfieldsMissouri World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Missouri for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
External links
- Lambert-St. Louis International Airport official site
- OpenNav airspace and charts for KSTL