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History of the Airport
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From Lindbergh Field to San Diego International Airport
In 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh electrified the world when he made San Diego the starting point for the first-ever solo, nonstop transatlantic flight. In his
Spirit of St. Louis, Lindbergh took off from Dutch Flat bound for St. Louis, New York and Paris, France. Lindbergh later agreed to lend his name to a proposed new airport: San Diego Municipal Airport - Lindbergh Field.
Early aviation supporters saw their efforts rise from the mud when construction began on the long anticipated municipal airport. A cast of public and private agencies, military officers, politicians, philanthropists, and engineers worked tirelessly to build upon the muddy ground that gave birth to San Diego International Airport on its Dedication Day, August 16, 1928.
On June 1, 1930, the San Diego-Los Angeles airmail route was initiated, becoming the airport's major selling point for local government. At 5 o'clock sharp, the first airmail plane left the only building at the airport and raced down the runway, marking the beginning of a new era for San Diego.
At the outbreak of World War II, and as San Diego's population boomed, the military transformed San Diego International Airport into a modern aviation transportation center. The U.S. Army Air Corps took over the airport in 1942, and Army engineers improved the existing runways to accommodate the heavy bombers churned out by San Diego's aircraft manufacturers during World War II.
The 8,750-foot "mega-runway" built to accommodate World War II-era long-range bombers made San Diego International Airport "jet-ready" long before United Airlines became the first airline to offer pure jet service in September 1960. American Airlines followed with their "Jet Ace" scheduled service to Dallas/Fort Worth a few weeks later. San Diego had entered the Jet Age.
Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, San Diego International Airport is the nation's
busiest single runway commercial airport — serving over 18 million passengers in 2008, and servicing 18 airlines, seven airfreight companies, 16 airline support providers and 23 concessionaires. A far cry from the first, dusty runway and single terminal, San Diego International Airport now contributes nearly $10 billion annually to the regional economy.
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San Diego International Airport's Historical Timeline
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1925
The
first daily-scheduled, year-round
air passenger service was inaugurated
by Ryan Airlines with service between
San Diego and Los Angeles. |
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May 10,
1927
Charles A. Lindbergh took off from Dutch
Flats in San Diego (the current site of the Midway Post
Office and just north of today's airport) bound for St.
Louis, New York and Paris, on the first solo, non-stop
transatlantic flight.
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Aug 16,
1928
The San Diego airfield
opened on Pacific Highway and was
dedicated in honor of Charles A.
Lindbergh. It was the first federally
certified airfield that could serve
all plane types, including seaplanes,
earning it the first ever AAA rating
for an airport. |
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1934
San Diego Municipal
Airport was made a permanent international
airport of entry by the U.S. Treasury
Department, establishing the airport
as San Diego International Airport. |
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1942
The Airport's current
runway was constructed. |
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Dec 18,
1962
The San Diego Unified
Port District was created when
the State Legislature approved
Senate Bill 41, which was certified
by the County Board of Supervisors.
District purview included ownership
and operation of the Airport. |
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March 5,
1967
The new East Terminal
(now Terminal 1) opened for business. |
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Jan 5,
1976
San Diego International
Airport invoked a nighttime flight
restriction for airlines flying
in and out of the Airport. This
action was believed to be the first
formal action of its kind at a
major commercial airport within
the continental United States. |
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July 11,
1979
A new $15 million
West Terminal addition (now Terminal
2) was opened. (Dedicated April
18, 1979) |
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Jan 1982
Southwest Airlines
began service at the airport offering
six round-trip San Diego-Phoenix
flights a day. |
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Oct 30,
1983
United Airlines
began offering daily flights from
San Diego to Honolulu, the first
such regularly scheduled service
to Hawaii. |
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Nov 8,
1995
Airport officials broke ground to initiate the
West Terminal expansion, a highlight of the $232 million airport
upgrade to meet passenger demand into the next century. |
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July 23,
1996
The Commuter Terminal
opened at San Diego International
Airport. |
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1996
The installation
of 16 public art works at San
Diego International Airport's
West Terminal addition and Commuter
Terminal was approved.
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Jan 7,
1998
A 300,000 square-foot
expansion of Terminal 2 opened
for passenger traffic. The $232
million airport improvement program
was completed and the Airport Master
Plan was launched. |
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Oct 14,
2001
Assembly Bill 93
established the San Diego County
Regional Airport Authority Act,
which created the Authority as
a local entity of regional government
to oversee the Airport operations.
The bill also requires the Authority
to adopt the comprehensive airport
land use plan and submit a site
selection for the future regional
airport.
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Jan 1,
2002
The new Authority
began operation under an interim
Authority Board. |
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Sept 27,
2002
Governor Davis signed
Senate Bill 1896 into law, which
amends Assembly Bill 93 regarding
the selection and appointment of
Authority Board members. (The Senate
passed the bill on August 30, 2002.) |
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Dec 16,
2002
The first meeting
of the new permanent Authority
Board was held after the installation
ceremony. |
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Jan 1,
2003
Ownership and operations
of San Diego International Airport
was transferrred to the Authority
from the San Diego Unified Port
District as required by the Airport
Authority Act. |
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