Flashback Photos: Atlanta's airport through the years

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Flashback Photos: Atlanta's airport through the years

We take a trip back in time and visit the Atlanta airport from its inception as Candler Field to its modern status as an international air hub.

The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport hosts an average of more than 250,000 passengers a day and since 1998, Hartsfield-Jackson has been the busiest passenger airport in the world. But it hasn't always been quite that way. In this Flashback Photos installment, we take a trip back in time and visit the Atlanta airport in its many visages -- from its inception as Candler Field to its modern status as an international air hub.

Hartsfield-Jackson serves 150 U.S. destinations and more than 75 international destinations in 50 countries.

The new International Terminal, which opened in 2012, is named for the late former Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson, who promoted the expansion of the old Atlanta airport during the 1970s.

The airport, which is 10 miles from downtown Atlanta, encompasses a hefty 4,700 acres.

The old, abandoned Atlanta Raceway became the city's new airport in 1925. Named Candler Field for its former owner, Coca-Cola magnate and former Atlanta mayor Asa Candler, the airport welcomed its first airplane arrival in September 1926.

The original Dec. 24, 1939, caption for this photo reads: "Watching the silver ships arrive at Candler Field, Atlanta Municipal Airport, bringing with them the excitement of far places."

July 1947 original caption: "The new passenger terminal at Atlanta Municipal Airport is nearing completion. It will be ready for use in two months with a large restaurant and conference lounge."

Dec. 1954 original caption: "Airlines have had to improve the Atlanta airport facilities themselves. Shown is the interior of one of the 'fingers' from the terminal which cost Eastern Airlines $25,000."

In the 1950s, passengers at the old Atlanta Municipal Airport deplaned onto the tarmac.

Dec. 1954 -- Passengers waited to claim their baggage at the Atlanta airport in a drafty, open-air, corrugated shed.

Dec. 20, 1956, original photo caption: "Air transportation booms for the holidays, with long lines at every ticket window. Passengers are shown at the Atlanta Airport terminal where morning fog delayed many planes."

Surveyors navigate the new terminal location at the Atlanta Municipal Airport in 1961.

In this photo, the Atlanta Municipal Airport terminal building is in the process of relocated in 1961.

The 1961 caption for this photo reads: "Even regular air travelers will have a hard time recognizing this site. It's the front-loading platform of the old terminal. Remember? It's where you spent all that time waiting."

Original caption from 1961: "The steps to the old airport terminal lead to nowhere. If you're looking for the terminal, it's wa-a-y in the background."

By the early '60s, a growing Atlanta needed a bigger, more modern airport and the newly-constructed terminal and complex fit the bill with its sleek, space-age design. The new $21 million terminal opened in May 1961 and it was, at the time, the largest airport terminal in the country.

This 1962 photo of the Atlanta Municipal Airport's interior lobby showcases the terminal's forward-looking design, which exuded '60s modernity.

The airport's radar control room was state of the art in 1961.

In 1961, crowds thronged the new Atlanta Airport terminal for its dedication ceremonies. Here, World Bank president Eugene Black and Atlanta Mayor William Hartsfield face the expectant audience.

Some things never change: This parking lot at the Atlanta Municipal Airport is full in this Sept. 15, 1968, photo.

By 1968, the new terminal was already bustling with passengers.

In the 1970s, it became clear that once again Atlanta needed to invest in airport expansion. Construction on the current midfield terminal started in 1977 and was the largest construction project in the South, costing $500 million. This 1980 photo shows the ongoing work of building the Hartsfield-Jackson domestic terminal that still is in operation.

Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson dedicates the new airport, named for longtime Atlanta mayor William Hartsfield, in late 1980.

Hartsfield became Delta's main hub in 1978 and is still the airline's home base of operations.

Eastern was Hartsfield's other major airline until it ceased operations in 1991. Southwest is now the second-largest airline at the airport.

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The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport hosts an average of more than 250,000 passengers a day and since 1998, Hartsfield-Jackson has been the busiest passenger airport in the world. But it hasn't always been quite that way. In this Flashback Photos installment, we take a trip back in time and visit the Atlanta airport in its many visages -- from its inception as Candler Field to its modern status as an international air hub.

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