Any keen traveller will spend a fair amount of time in airports throughout their lifetime, but it has taken decades, and sometimes even over a century, for some of the busiest transport hubs to look the way they do. We take a trip down memory lane to trace the changes of some of the world's best-known airports.
Click through the gallery to see amazing historic photos that show how the world's most iconic airports once looked...
One of Europe’s busiest airports, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) was first established in 1916, and at that time was just a handful of small wooden structures on a stretch of muddy land, used as a military airfield. In 1920, the first scheduled KLM aircraft, carrying just two passengers, touched down at the airport. The airport expanded rapidly as the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics approached – the field and access roads were improved, a new concrete platform was poured and the first terminal and air traffic control tower were built.
After Germany invaded the Netherlands, Schiphol became the most heavily defended German airfield in Europe. Because of its strategic importance it was virtually destroyed in 1943 by an American bombing raid – but, by the time the Second World War had ended, Schiphol was rebuilt and welcomed its first landing on 8 July 1945. During the 1950s it flourished as a tourist destination (pictured) and the first tax-free shops also opened here in 1957.
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The airport continued to expand during the coming years until a new terminal was opened in 1967, and then again in 1975. A new air traffic control tower was also brought into use in 1991, becoming the tallest in the world at the time. Today, Schiphol is one of the world’s oldest international airports still in operation, offering 305 direct destinations from 120 airlines. Fun fact: Schiphol lies 13 feet (4m) below sea level at the bottom of what was once the Haarlemmer Lake.
London’s biggest airport, Heathrow (LHR), first came to be in 1930, when a British engineer paid £15,000 ($18,945) for a plot of land to build a private airport. Then called the Great West Aerodrome, the airport consisted of one grass runway and a collection of humble buildings. London Airport officially opened in 1946, and compared to the lavish lounges of today, passenger terminals were simple, consisting of ex-military marquees with no heating. There were, however, comforts such as floral armchairs, fresh flowers and a WHSmith (bookstore and newsagent).
London Airport grew rapidly: 63,000 passengers travelled through the airport in its first year and the number rose to 796,000 in 1951. It was renamed Heathrow Airport in 1966, and by the end of the 1970s, when Concorde and Boeing 747 ruled the skies, 27 million passengers were using the airport annually. There was a constant stream of renovations in the coming decades to cope with the demand, with multiple terminals opened, a London Underground link created and a rail service launched. The late Queen Elizabeth II even visited to open Terminal 1 in 1969.
Today, Heathrow is one of Europe's busiest airports by passenger traffic, serving 89 airlines flying to 214 destinations in 84 countries. In 2023, around 79.1 million passengers passed through the airport and 2024 is predicted to be its busiest-ever year, with New York (JFK) still its most popular destination. Those who have travelled through this airport in recent years might wonder where Terminal 1 disappeared to; after 47 years of service, it was closed in 2015 to make way for the expansion of Terminal 2 and is no longer in use. Currently, there are also controversial plans to build a third runway.
Initially a hub for airships, including the ill-fated Hindenburg, the first traces of an airport at this location existed as early as 1912. Plans to construct an airport were revived in 1933 and three years later a commercial airport (pictured) opened and formed the core of what would become Frankfurt Airport (FRA). The airport was completely destroyed during the Second World War, but as soon as the US Army took control, a new temporary runway was built.
Frankfurt Airport boomed in the 1950s after the restrictions for German air travellers were lifted, with more than 400,000 passengers flying just a year later. Frankfurt emerged as a major airline hub in 1958, when a new terminal opened and by 1962 there was already a need to build an even larger terminal. When Terminal 1 opened in 1972, the passenger offering improved, with restaurants and duty free shops catering to international travellers spending longer at the airport. Pictured here is a Scandinavian Airlines flight leaving the ramp in the early 1950s.
Following years of renovations and improvements, including new runways and terminals, Frankfurt Airport is now served by 86 airlines, reaching 292 destinations in 92 countries. Today, Frankfurt Airport is Germany’s largest airport and one of Europe’s most important hubs, with nearly 50 million passengers travelling through the airport in 2022. An estimated 148,450 travellers depart or arrive each day, although the busiest ever day was on 30 June 2019, when 241,228 people passed through.
A major international hub and one of the world’s busiest airports, Dubai International Airport (DXB) has expanded rapidly over its relatively short history, with passenger numbers growing by an average of 13% each year. Although DXB's history can be traced back to 1937 – when the British airline Imperial Airways operated four weekly Flying Boats here – the airport properly opened in 1960 (pictured). By 1963, its first expansion had already commenced, as the airport swapped its sand runway for modern asphalt tarmac.
By the end of the 1960s, the airport already accommodated nine airlines and flew to 20 destinations. In the 1970s, even grander expansions took place, with the launching of new terminal buildings and a new control tower (pictured). The airport has continued growing since the 1990s: terminals have been added and expanded and the airport has been connected to central Dubai via metro. A second airport, Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), has also been constructed to support growing passenger numbers.
The airport now offers flights to 260 destinations on six continents with more than a hundred airlines, making it the world’s busiest airport for international passengers and serving 87 million travellers in 2023. It's also pushing the boundaries for the future with its new Smart Gates, which were introduced in 2023, which mean pre-screened passengers can skip scanning their passport or queuing up at security, with biometric face-recognition systems and smart luggage scanners making for a speedier airport experience.
One of the world’s most famous airports, JFK actually began its life as a golf course. In 1941, the Idlewild Beach Golf Course was chosen to be the site of a new airport serving New York City. The project was a hefty undertaking and it eventually opened as Idlewild Airport, with the first flight taking off in 1948. It was renamed multiple times over the following years and got its current title in 1963, shortly after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Here, the airport is pictured in 1957 after the completion of the International Arrivals Building.
During the 1950s and 1960s, JFK experienced a boom, with airlines including United, American and Pan Am all opening new terminals. By the late 1950s, around £186 million ($235m) had already been spent on developing the airport and it gained even more international fame in the 1970s as trans-Atlantic supersonic flights aboard the Concorde (pictured) connected JFK with London and Paris. Minor redevelopments and expansions continued until the 1990s – Terminal 1 opened in 1998 and the new Terminal 4 replaced the International Arrivals Building in 2001.
JFK has grown to become one of the world's most famous and important airports, serving 62.5 million passengers in 2023. It's in the midst of a major refurbishment programme worth a staggering £12.3 billion ($15.6bn), with construction under way on a futuristic New Terminal One on the south side of the airport and a new Terminal 6 on the north end, and expanded facilities at Terminals 4 and 8.
Only opened in 1998, island-based Hong Kong International (HKG) came into being as a replacement for the dangerous Kai Tak Airport (pictured). The latter's hair-raising landings were famous among pilots: to land successfully, they had to make a perfectly executed sharp turn to line up with the runway and fly in between Hong Kong’s high-rise buildings. A study in the 1970s identified Chek Lap Kok island as a suitable location for the new airport, but construction didn't begin until 1991.
Mere hours after the opening ceremony, Air Force One, carrying President Bill Clinton, landed at the new airport, making him the first foreign visitor to arrive. The airport began its operations a few days later. Another terminal, T2, opened in 2007 to cope with the rising passenger numbers and featured a new shopping mall, called Sky Plaza. Pictured here is the building site of the new airport in 1992.
Covering an impressive area of nearly five square miles (13sqkm), the airport has 90 boarding gates that helped 39.5 million passengers get to around 220 destinations in 2023. The airport is also one of the world's busiest cargo gateways, handling 4.3 million tonnes of cargo and airmail in 2023. The future here is also bright. A 20-year blueprint called Master Plan 2030 was published in 2011, outlining further development that includes construction of a third runway and expansion of the airport facilities.
Just like Hong Kong, Changi isn't Singapore's first airport. Opened in the 1950s, Paya Lebar Airport served Singapore until 1980, when Changi opened and Paya Lebar was transformed into a military air base. The popularity of international travel meant Paya Lebar had outgrown its home by 1975 so the decision was made to move the airport to a new site, and the foundation stone of Terminal 1 was laid in 1979. Pictured here is Boeing 307 at Paya Lebar Airport in 1967.
Almost immediately after opening, Changi started setting records and world firsts. In the 1980s it was reportedly the first airport to introduce indoor gardens and the first to allow passengers to make free local telephone calls in transit. The world's first transit-area swimming pool opened here in 1995 too. Just five years after the airport's opening, passenger numbers had already surpassed 10 million, so construction on Terminal 2 began. During its first decade, Changi also received its first Best Airport award and is regularly ranked number one in global aviation awards.
The new millennium has brought massive changes to Changi, from new terminals to Jewel Changi Airport, a shopping and entertainment area that connects Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Serving nearly 59 million passengers in 2023, Changi already has several future developments on the way as well. Terminal 5, bigger than the first three combined, is due to open in the mid-2030s and is expected to handle 50 million passengers a year alone.
One of the world’s busiest airports for international passengers, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) first came into existence in the 1920s as Candler Field. The first commercial flight took place in 1926 and in 1942 it was renamed Atlanta Municipal Airport. Passenger numbers grew rapidly after the war, so a temporary terminal was built out of salvage material from old military buildings. When it opened, it featured the longest ticket counter in the world. The airport is pictured here in 1927.
In anticipation of the passenger numbers the dawn of the Jet Age would bring, the country's largest single terminal opened in 1961 (pictured). Although it was built to serve six million passengers a year, the terminal was already stretched beyond capacity in its first year. Then the largest passenger terminal in the world, Midfield Terminal was opened in 1980 to accommodate up to 55 million passengers a year. A number of further renovations and openings in the 1990s led to it becoming the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic.
Today, Atlanta is one of only three airports in the world to feature five runways, with 104.7 million passengers passing through in 2023, just 5 million shy of its world-beating record in 2019. The airport is within a two-hour flight of 80% of the US population and Delta's biggest hub, which might explain its popularity. Not only is it the state's top employer, but it also holds fun events such as annual charity race, 5k on the 5th runway, with the slogan: 'You've flown over it. You've driven under it. Now run on it.'
Originally a Soviet military base, Sheremetyevo (SVO) began its life as a civilian airport in 1959, when the first flight landed from Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad). But it wasn't officially opened until 1960. The first international flight took place in the same year to Berlin Schönefeld Airport. In the coming decades, a second runway was constructed, a new terminal opened and another one was commissioned. Pictured is a cafe at the airport in 1975.
Sheremetyevo-2 (the second terminal, now known as Terminal F) was opened in 1980 in anticipation of the Olympic Games in Moscow. The complex was designed to serve six million passengers annually, but during the month of the Olympics, the terminal had more than 460,000 foreign passengers passing through. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the airport underwent a number of major redevelopments, including reconstruction of one of the runways, new railway connections and the addition of several new terminals.
Today, Russia’s busiest airport comprises six terminals and is the main hub for Russian flag carrier Aeroflot. The airport has also been named the world's best for flights arriving and departing on time, has doubled as a space port on the silver screen, and its transit lounge was home to American-Russian technology specialist Edward Snowden for more than a month in summer 2023. The airport was renamed Sheremetyevo Alexander S. Pushkin International Airport in 2019 to honour the famous Russian poet on his 220th birthday.
The title of the oldest airport in France goes to Paris-Le Bourget, which began commercial operations in 1919. But there’s no denying the importance Paris Charles de Gaulle (also known as Roissy or by its IATA code CDG) plays in Europe and the world. Plans for a new airport were drawn up as early as 1966 as Le Bourget and Orly (pictured in 1946) struggled to cope with ever-growing passenger numbers.
The revolutionary airport – designed as a central cylindrical 10-floor building with seven satellite buildings – opened in 1974. Soon after, the airport welcomed its first commercial flight and all three Paris airports broke the 20 million passenger mark. Several improvements and openings of new terminals followed in the coming decades to cope with the growing numbers of passengers, and it became the French home of supersonic service Concorde.
With flights to 328 destinations in 119 countries, CDG is now a hub for both passengers and cargo. In 2023, the airport served 68.3 million passengers, becoming one of the biggest European hubs for passengers, freight and mail. A peculiar feature of the airport today is its terminals. There are technically three in total, but in reality it feels more like nine with Terminal 2 now housing sub-terminals 2A to 2G. Plans for a new Terminal 4 were scrapped in 2021 following the impact of the pandemic and environmental concerns.
Today, LAX is the world's eighth busiest airport, with nine terminals and a new £1.8 billion ($2.3bn) Delta Sky Way that connects Terminal 3 via moving walkways. The airport banned the sale of plastic water bottles in summer 2023 to boost its sustainability credentials, and also offers a special PUP (Pets Unstressing Passengers) programme that provides stress relief and comfort to passengers with the help of therapy dogs in red 'Pet Me' vests.
Rome’s Ciampino 'GB Pastine' Airport was opened in 1916, a year after Italy entered the First World War. It was built to handle airships and other military aircraft and was named after an Italian military airship commander, Giovan Battista Pastine. Its location was dictated by the needs of airships too. Just seven miles (12km) from Rome, the airfield avoided the troublesome winds common on the coast. Here we see a rigid airship zeppelin docked at the airport sometime before 1920.
Ciampino continued to serve as a military airport until 1947. In the 1950s and 1960s it became one of the most glamourous airports in Europe, with Hollywood stars like Charlton Heston, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor jetting in to film at Rome’s famous Cinecitta film studios. A number of big-budget American movies were shot here, including Roman Holiday, Ben-Hur and Cleopatra, and Cinecitta became known as 'Hollywood on the Tiber'. This photo shows Audrey Hepburn arriving at Ciampino with her husband in 1959.
After Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport officially opened in 1961, Ciampino was mainly used by charter and executive flights. Revenue dwindled and the airport stagnated, before low-cost carrier Ryanair chose the airport as its new Rome base in 2004. Here we see chief executive Michael O'Leary making the announcement. Budget airlines have helped transform the airport into one of the fastest growing in Italy – so much so that increasing noise complaints have caused the Italian authorities to explore possibilities for a third airport for the Italian capital.
The origins of Hamburg Airport can be traced back to 1910, when Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin gave a stirring speech in the city extolling the virtues of travelling by airship. Less than a year later, the Hamburger Luftschiffhallen GmbH company was formed and by 1912 a huge airship hangar loomed over an almost-111-acre grassy site near the village of Fuhlsbuttel (now an urban quarter within Hamburg). In 1920, Dutch carrier KLM gave the site its first international flight route and the airport really started to take off.
Photos like this one show that Hamburg Airport was used by the Nazis in the Second World War. But unlike a lot of other German airports, Hamburg Airport emerged from the war relatively unscathed. As such it was able to play a vital role in the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and 1949, serving as a take-off point for the famous Rosinenbombers ('candy bombers'). These transport planes ferried much-needed supplies into Berlin, which was under a Soviet blockade, but their pilots would also drop sweets for the city's children, attached to tiny parachutes.
In 1920 – the year when records began – Hamburg Airport served exactly 241 passengers. In 2019 that number was more than 17 million, making it Germany’s fifth busiest airport. In November 2016, its official name became Hamburg Airport Helmut Schmidt, in honour of the former German chancellor. One of Hamburg’s greatest 20th century sons, Schmidt championed closer European ties and refused to cut West Germany’s welfare programme during the recession of the early 1980s. There's an exhibition on his life and work in Terminal 2.
Sydney’s international airport is named after famous Australian aviator Charles Kingsford Smith, pictured here in his famous plane, the Southern Cross. The airport started life as a paddock on the shores of Botany Bay until another pioneering aviator, Nigel Love, saw its potential and leased the 140-acre site to start a fledgling aviation business. On 19 November 1919, he took his first paying passenger up in a two-seater Avro 504K biplane to film Sydney from the air. To this day it remains one of the oldest continually operating airports in the world.
When Love’s lease expired in 1923, the site was acquired by the Australian government, with regular commercial flights commencing a year later. Its two gravel runways were eventually paved and in 1970 a new international terminal was opened by Queen Elizabeth II. In 1994 a third runway was opened amid great controversy. Jutting out into Botany Bay and running parallel to an existing runway rather than dissecting it, it increased both the airport’s capacity and the plane noise over the inner-city suburbs.
Just five miles (8km) from Sydney’s CBD, Kingsford Smith Airport’s convenient location is both a blessing and a curse. For visitors, the famous Opera House and Harbour Bridge are less than 20 minutes away by train. But with the demand for aviation services expected to double over the next 20 years, it also means that the airport is unable to expand to cope. A new airport named after female Australian aviation pioneer Nancy-Bird Walton is expected to open in 2026.
Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport traces its origins to the demise of the Twin Cities Motor Speedway, pictured here in 1916. After the speedway went bankrupt in 1917, civic leaders saw an opportunity to develop the infield of the concrete track into an airfield as a way of attracting more airmail service. The 160-acre site was renamed Wold-Chamberlain Field to honour two Minneapolis-born aviators killed in the First World War and steadily developed over the next decade.
The Wold-Chamberlain Field Airport was not immune to twin city politics. In 1926, the city of St Paul started developing an airfield closer to its downtown, but the fact that Wold-Chamberlain Field was equidistant from both cities made it a more attractive investment opportunity. In 1962 the opening of Terminal 1, with its signature folded-plate roof, would modernise the travel experience for twin city passengers. One of the new design features placed passenger services on the upper level and baggage claim and transportation services on the lower level.
Today the airport is the 19th busiest in North America, serving 34.7 million travellers in 2023 alone. In March 2024, Airports Council International named it the best airport in North America for the third year in a row. One reason for this could be the airport’s Arts and Culture Program, designed to bring works of public art to ordinary passengers. The Aurora (pictured) in the Terminal 1 departures hall is a particular favourite – designed to represent the Northern Lights, its wispy, ethereal colours change whenever anyone walks beneath it.