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===20th century=== ===20th century===
] in the background in September 2009]] ] in the background in September 2009]]
Planning for a new airport on {{convert|3200|acre}} to serve the ] began in 1944, just prior to the end of ], when the Baltimore Aviation Commission announced its decision that the best location to build a new airport would be on a {{convert|2100|acre|adj=on}} tract of land near ].<ref name=":1">" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305002318/http://search.proquest.com/docview/151674708/|date=March 5, 2017}}". ''The Washington Post.'' August 11, 1944. p. 7.</ref><ref name= anne>"Anne Arundel Airport Site is Favored: Bonnell Cites Advantages Of 2,100 Acres Near Linthicum Heights". ''The Baltimore Sun''. August 10, 1944. p. 22.</ref> The cost of building the airport was estimated at $9&nbsp;million.<ref name= anne/> Planning for a new airport on {{convert|3200|acre}} to serve the ] began in 1944, just prior to the end of ], when the Baltimore Aviation Commission announced its decision that the best location to build a new airport would be on a {{convert|2100|acre|adj=on}} tract of land near ].<ref name=":1">"". ''The Washington Post.'' August 11, 1944. p. 7.</ref><ref name= anne>"Anne Arundel Airport Site is Favored: Bonnell Cites Advantages Of 2,100 Acres Near Linthicum Heights". ''The Baltimore Sun''. August 10, 1944. p. 22.</ref> The cost of building the airport was estimated at $9&nbsp;million.<ref name= anne/>


The site was chosen because it was a 15-minute drive from ], close to the ] line, the ] line, and the proposed ], and visibility at the site was generally good.<ref name= anne/> An alternate site along ] at ] was rejected by the ], and another possible site at ] was deemed too far from ].<ref name= anne/> The State Aviation Commission approved of the Linthicum Heights site in 1946.<ref>{{cite news |title=Linthicum Heights Airport Approved |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/151827918 |access-date=March 17, 2023 |newspaper=] |date=March 17, 1946 |location=] |page=M3 |via=] |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317010348/https://www.proquest.com/docview/151827918 |id={{ProQuest|151827918}} |url-status=live }}</ref> The site was chosen because it was a 15-minute drive from ], close to the ] line, the ] line, and the proposed ], and visibility at the site was generally good.<ref name= anne/> An alternate site along ] at ] was rejected by the ], and another possible site at ] was deemed too far from ].<ref name= anne/> The State Aviation Commission approved of the Linthicum Heights site in 1946.<ref>{{cite news |title=Linthicum Heights Airport Approved |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/151827918 |access-date=March 17, 2023 |newspaper=] |date=March 17, 1946 |location=] |page=M3 |via=] |id={{ProQuest|151827918}} |url-status=live }}</ref>


Much of the land was purchased from Friendship Methodist Church in 1946,<ref>{{cite news |title= 500 Acres Acquired For Baltimore Airport |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= June 27, 1946 |page= 3 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/151792190/ |access-date= December 22, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170305002321/http://search.proquest.com/docview/151792190/ |archive-date= March 5, 2017 |url-status= live |via=] }}</ref> and ground was broken on May 2, 1947.<ref>"Airport Work Begins Today: City And State Officials To Witness Ground-Breaking". ''The Baltimore Sun''. May 2, 1947. p. 7.</ref><ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208051146/http://www.bwiairport.com/en/about-bwi/bwi-timeline |date=December 8, 2009 }} BWI Airport Timeline: 1784–1947, retrieved December 27, 2011.</ref> Friendship Methodist Church held its last service on Easter Sunday in 1948.<ref name= church>{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1996/02/16/work-crews-unearth-potters-field-at-bwi-remains-recovered-for-up-to-5-people-near-old-cemetery/|title=Work crews unearth potter's field at BWI|newspaper=]|date=February 16, 1996|first=Consella A.|last=Lee|access-date=April 19, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222020951/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1996-02-16/news/1996047047_1_friendship-cemetery-cemetery-board-cemetery-is-closed|archive-date=February 22, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Friendship Methodist Church was razed to make room for the new airport.<ref name= church/> In addition, several pieces of land were bought,<ref>"Airport Farm Value Listed At $14,000 By City Appraiser". ''The Baltimore Sun''. January 7, 1947. p. 6.</ref> and 170 bodies buried in a cemetery were moved.<ref>"City to Move 170 Bodies: Will Pay To Transfer Those Buried On Airport Site". ''The Baltimore Sun''. September 27, 1946. p. 19.</ref> ] was moved to the west to make way for the airport's construction.<ref>"City Will Pay for Road Shift: Meade Highway Runs Through Projected New Airport". ''The Baltimore Sun''. October 6, 1946. p. 18.</ref> Much of the land was purchased from Friendship Methodist Church in 1946,<ref>{{cite news |title= 500 Acres Acquired For Baltimore Airport |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= June 27, 1946 |page= 3 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/151792190/ |access-date= December 22, 2016 |url-status= live |via=] }}</ref> and ground was broken on May 2, 1947.<ref>"Airport Work Begins Today: City And State Officials To Witness Ground-Breaking". ''The Baltimore Sun''. May 2, 1947. p. 7.</ref><ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208051146/http://www.bwiairport.com/en/about-bwi/bwi-timeline |date=December 8, 2009 }} BWI Airport Timeline: 1784–1947, retrieved December 27, 2011.</ref> Friendship Methodist Church held its last service on Easter Sunday in 1948.<ref name= church>{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1996/02/16/work-crews-unearth-potters-field-at-bwi-remains-recovered-for-up-to-5-people-near-old-cemetery/|title=Work crews unearth potter's field at BWI|newspaper=]|date=February 16, 1996|first=Consella A.|last=Lee|access-date=April 19, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222020951/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1996-02-16/news/1996047047_1_friendship-cemetery-cemetery-board-cemetery-is-closed|archive-date=February 22, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Friendship Methodist Church was razed to make room for the new airport.<ref name= church/> In addition, several pieces of land were bought,<ref>"Airport Farm Value Listed At $14,000 By City Appraiser". ''The Baltimore Sun''. January 7, 1947. p. 6.</ref> and 170 bodies buried in a cemetery were moved.<ref>"City to Move 170 Bodies: Will Pay To Transfer Those Buried On Airport Site". ''The Baltimore Sun''. September 27, 1946. p. 19.</ref> ] was moved to the west to make way for the airport's construction.<ref>"City Will Pay for Road Shift: Meade Highway Runs Through Projected New Airport". ''The Baltimore Sun''. October 6, 1946. p. 18.</ref>


'''Friendship International Airport''' was dedicated on June 24, 1950, by President ]. Truman arrived in a ], then the official presidential airplane, from nearby ]. Accompanying Truman were the ], ], and ] ], who was taking his first aircraft flight.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=Cooperation Built Airport, Truman Says: President Dedicates Baltimore Project; Praises Aid Programs Truman Lauds Cooperation|date=June 25, 1950}}</ref> The cost to construct the airport totaled $15&nbsp;million.<ref name= airportopen/> The following month, the airlines moved to the new airport from the old ] at Harbor Field in southeast Baltimore at {{coord|39.25|-76.53|display=inline}}. ] flew the first scheduled flight, a ], into the airport at 12:01 am on July 23, 1950.<ref name="airportopen">{{cite news |title=Friendship Airport Opens |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/152273391 |access-date=March 17, 2023 |newspaper=] |date=July 24, 1950 |location=] |page=12 |via=] |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317010411/https://www.proquest.com/docview/152273391 |id={{ProQuest|152273391}} |url-status=live }}</ref> Seven minutes later, the same plane was also the first flight to depart from the airport.<ref name= airportopen/> Three hundred spectators came to watch the first flights arrive and depart.<ref name= airportopen/> '''Friendship International Airport''' was dedicated on June 24, 1950, by President ]. Truman arrived in a ], then the official presidential airplane, from nearby ]. Accompanying Truman were the ], ], and ] ], who was taking his first aircraft flight.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=Cooperation Built Airport, Truman Says: President Dedicates Baltimore Project; Praises Aid Programs Truman Lauds Cooperation|date=June 25, 1950}}</ref> The cost to construct the airport totaled $15&nbsp;million.<ref name= airportopen/> The following month, the airlines moved to the new airport from the old ] at Harbor Field in southeast Baltimore at {{coord|39.25|-76.53|display=inline}}. ] flew the first scheduled flight, a ], into the airport at 12:01 am on July 23, 1950.<ref name="airportopen">{{cite news |title=Friendship Airport Opens |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/152273391 |access-date=March 17, 2023 |newspaper=] |date=July 24, 1950 |location=] |page=12 |via=] |id={{ProQuest|152273391}} |url-status=live }}</ref> Seven minutes later, the same plane was also the first flight to depart from the airport.<ref name= airportopen/> Three hundred spectators came to watch the first flights arrive and depart.<ref name= airportopen/>


The ''Official Airline Guide'' reports 52 weekday departures from the airport as of April 1957: 19 ], 12 ], 8 ], four ], three ], three ], two ], and one ]. The departures included a couple nonstop flights to ], but westward nonstop flights did not reach beyond ]. The airport's reach expanded when jet service started. The early Boeing 707s and Douglas DC-8s could not use ], and ], which opened in 1962, had not yet opened, so Baltimore became Washington, D.C.'s jet airport from May 1959 to June 1959, when American and TWA began transcontinental 707 flights.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208051146/http://www.bwiairport.com/en/about-bwi/bwi-timeline |date=December 8, 2009 }} BWI Airport Timeline: 1950–59, retrieved November 16, 2009</ref> By 1963, Friendship Int'l Airport was equipped with a 9,450 foot (2,880 m) runway, which could handle any commercial jet aircraft at that time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kilduffs.com/Baltimore_FriendshipAirport_History.html|title=History of Baltimore/Washington Int'l Airport|website=kilduffs.com|access-date= March 16, 2024}}</ref> The ''Official Airline Guide'' reports 52 weekday departures from the airport as of April 1957: 19 ], 12 ], 8 ], four ], three ], three ], two ], and one ]. The departures included a couple nonstop flights to ], but westward nonstop flights did not reach beyond ]. The airport's reach expanded when jet service started. The early Boeing 707s and Douglas DC-8s could not use ], and ], which opened in 1962, had not yet opened, so Baltimore became Washington, D.C.'s jet airport from May 1959 to June 1959, when American and TWA began transcontinental 707 flights.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208051146/http://www.bwiairport.com/en/about-bwi/bwi-timeline |date=December 8, 2009 }} BWI Airport Timeline: 1950–59, retrieved November 16, 2009</ref> By 1963, Friendship Int'l Airport was equipped with a 9,450 foot (2,880 m) runway, which could handle any commercial jet aircraft at that time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kilduffs.com/Baltimore_FriendshipAirport_History.html|title=History of Baltimore/Washington Int'l Airport|website=kilduffs.com|access-date= March 16, 2024}}</ref>
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In 1972, the ] (MDOT) purchased Friendship International Airport from the City of Baltimore for $36 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Friendship International Airport from the City of Baltimore for $36 million in 1972|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 8, 1984|author=John Mintz}}</ref> Under MDOT, the ] took over airfield operations, and the airport grew from three employees to more than 200. Plans to upgrade, improve, and modernize all Maryland airport facilities were announced almost immediately by ], then Maryland Secretary of Transportation and later ]. In 1972, the ] (MDOT) purchased Friendship International Airport from the City of Baltimore for $36 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Friendship International Airport from the City of Baltimore for $36 million in 1972|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 8, 1984|author=John Mintz}}</ref> Under MDOT, the ] took over airfield operations, and the airport grew from three employees to more than 200. Plans to upgrade, improve, and modernize all Maryland airport facilities were announced almost immediately by ], then Maryland Secretary of Transportation and later ].


On November 16, 1973, in an effort to attract passengers from the ], particularly ] and ] counties in suburban Maryland,<ref name="newname">{{cite news |title=New Name for Airport |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/148324405/ |access-date=March 17, 2023 |newspaper=] |date=October 2, 1973 |location=] |page=A7 |via=] |archive-date=March 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305002318/http://search.proquest.com/docview/148324405/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the airport was renamed '''Baltimore/Washington International Airport'''.<ref name="Timeline1979"/> Its ], originally BAL, was changed to BWI by the ] on April 20, 1980, and the change became official six months later, on October 26. The BWI code had previously been used by an airport in Bewani, ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Shift to 'BWI' Ends Identity Problem for Md. Airport |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1980/04/21/shift-to-bwi-ends-identity-problem-for-md-airport/34c38cb9-c675-4c83-a359-1d8dd79b08c5/ |access-date=March 17, 2023 |newspaper=] |date=April 21, 1980 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828151132/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1980/04/21/shift-to-bwi-ends-identity-problem-for-md-airport/34c38cb9-c675-4c83-a359-1d8dd79b08c5/ |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |location=] |url-status=live }}</ref> On November 16, 1973, in an effort to attract passengers from the ], particularly ] and ] counties in suburban Maryland,<ref name="newname">{{cite news |title=New Name for Airport |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/148324405/ |access-date=March 17, 2023 |newspaper=] |date=October 2, 1973 |location=] |page=A7 |via=] |url-status=live }}</ref> the airport was renamed '''Baltimore/Washington International Airport'''.<ref name="Timeline1979"/> Its ], originally BAL, was changed to BWI by the ] on April 20, 1980, and the change became official six months later, on October 26. The BWI code had previously been used by an airport in Bewani, ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Shift to 'BWI' Ends Identity Problem for Md. Airport |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1980/04/21/shift-to-bwi-ends-identity-problem-for-md-airport/34c38cb9-c675-4c83-a359-1d8dd79b08c5/ |access-date=March 17, 2023 |newspaper=] |date=April 21, 1980 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828151132/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1980/04/21/shift-to-bwi-ends-identity-problem-for-md-airport/34c38cb9-c675-4c83-a359-1d8dd79b08c5/ |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |location=] |url-status=live }}</ref>


In 1974, the first phase of the airport's modernization was completed at a cost of $30 million. Upgrades included improved instrument landing capabilities and runway systems, and construction of three new air cargo terminals, expanding the airport's freight capacity to {{convert|2.53|acre}}.<ref name="Timeline1979"/> In 1974, the first phase of the airport's modernization was completed at a cost of $30 million. Upgrades included improved instrument landing capabilities and runway systems, and construction of three new air cargo terminals, expanding the airport's freight capacity to {{convert|2.53|acre}}.<ref name="Timeline1979"/>

Revision as of 19:44, 24 December 2024

Airport near Baltimore, Maryland, United States "BWI Marshall Airport" redirects here. For the Baltimore Light Rail station, see BWI Marshall Airport station. For the Amtrak and MARC station, see BWI Rail Station.

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
The airport's main terminal in May 2009
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorMaryland Aviation Administration (MDOT MAA)
Serves
LocationAnne Arundel County, Maryland, U.S.
OpenedJune 24, 1950; 74 years ago (1950-06-24)
Operating base forSouthwest Airlines
Elevation AMSL143 ft / 44 m
Coordinates39°10′31″N 76°40′06″W / 39.17528°N 76.66833°W / 39.17528; -76.66833
Websitebwiairport.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
10/28 10,503 3,201 Asphalt
15L/33R 5,000 1,524 Asphalt
15R/33L 9,501 2,896 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers26,200,143
Aircraft operations239,417
Cargo (metric tons)538,733,019 lb (244,365 t)
Sources: BWI Airport

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (IATA: BWI, ICAO: KBWI, FAA LID: BWI) is an international airport in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, located 9 mi (14 km) south of downtown Baltimore and 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Washington, D.C.

BWI is one of three major airports that serve the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area. Dulles International Airport (IAD), in Dulles, Virginia, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), in Crystal City, Virginia, are the other two.

The airport serves as one of 12 U.S.-based operating bases for Southwest Airlines. In 2023, BWI recorded 12,849,636 passenger enplanements, making it the busiest airport in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, ranked at #23 in passenger enplanements in the U.S., followed by Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (#24) and Washington/Dulles Int'l Airport (#26).

In 2005, the airport was named in honor of Thurgood Marshall, a Baltimore native and the first African American to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

History

20th century

An aerial view of BWI Marshall Airport with downtown Baltimore in the background in September 2009

Planning for a new airport on 3,200 acres (1,300 ha) to serve the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area began in 1944, just prior to the end of World War II, when the Baltimore Aviation Commission announced its decision that the best location to build a new airport would be on a 2,100-acre (850 ha) tract of land near Linthicum Heights, Maryland. The cost of building the airport was estimated at $9 million.

The site was chosen because it was a 15-minute drive from Downtown Baltimore, close to the Pennsylvania Railroad line, the Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad line, and the proposed Baltimore–Washington Parkway, and visibility at the site was generally good. An alternate site along Gov. Ritchie Highway at Furnace Branch was rejected by the United States Department of War, and another possible site at Lipin's Corner was deemed too far from Baltimore. The State Aviation Commission approved of the Linthicum Heights site in 1946.

Much of the land was purchased from Friendship Methodist Church in 1946, and ground was broken on May 2, 1947. Friendship Methodist Church held its last service on Easter Sunday in 1948. Friendship Methodist Church was razed to make room for the new airport. In addition, several pieces of land were bought, and 170 bodies buried in a cemetery were moved. Baltimore–Fort Meade Road was moved to the west to make way for the airport's construction.

Friendship International Airport was dedicated on June 24, 1950, by President Harry S. Truman. Truman arrived in a Douglas DC-6, then the official presidential airplane, from nearby Washington National Airport. Accompanying Truman were the Governor of Maryland, William Preston Lane Jr., and Baltimore Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., who was taking his first aircraft flight. The cost to construct the airport totaled $15 million. The following month, the airlines moved to the new airport from the old Baltimore Municipal Airport at Harbor Field in southeast Baltimore at 39°15′N 76°32′W / 39.25°N 76.53°W / 39.25; -76.53. Eastern Airlines flew the first scheduled flight, a DC-3, into the airport at 12:01 am on July 23, 1950. Seven minutes later, the same plane was also the first flight to depart from the airport. Three hundred spectators came to watch the first flights arrive and depart.

The Official Airline Guide reports 52 weekday departures from the airport as of April 1957: 19 Eastern, 12 Capital, 8 American, four National, three TWA, three United, two Delta, and one Allegheny. The departures included a couple nonstop flights to Miami, but westward nonstop flights did not reach beyond Ohio. The airport's reach expanded when jet service started. The early Boeing 707s and Douglas DC-8s could not use Washington National Airport, and Dulles International Airport, which opened in 1962, had not yet opened, so Baltimore became Washington, D.C.'s jet airport from May 1959 to June 1959, when American and TWA began transcontinental 707 flights. By 1963, Friendship Int'l Airport was equipped with a 9,450 foot (2,880 m) runway, which could handle any commercial jet aircraft at that time.

In 1972, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) purchased Friendship International Airport from the City of Baltimore for $36 million. Under MDOT, the Maryland State Aviation Administration took over airfield operations, and the airport grew from three employees to more than 200. Plans to upgrade, improve, and modernize all Maryland airport facilities were announced almost immediately by Harry Hughes, then Maryland Secretary of Transportation and later Governor of Maryland.

On November 16, 1973, in an effort to attract passengers from the Washington metropolitan area, particularly Montgomery and Prince George's counties in suburban Maryland, the airport was renamed Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Its IATA code, originally BAL, was changed to BWI by the International Air Transport Association on April 20, 1980, and the change became official six months later, on October 26. The BWI code had previously been used by an airport in Bewani, Papua New Guinea.

In 1974, the first phase of the airport's modernization was completed at a cost of $30 million. Upgrades included improved instrument landing capabilities and runway systems, and construction of three new air cargo terminals, expanding the airport's freight capacity to 2.53 acres (1.02 ha).

In 1979, the terminal renovation program was completed, representing the most dramatic work of the airport's modernization, which was designed by DMJM along with Peterson & Brickbauer. The renovations more than doubled the size of BWI's terminal to 14.58 acres (5.90 ha), and the number of gates increased from 20 to 27. The total cost was $70 million. To continue the work, the BWI Development Council was established to support initiatives for airport development.

In 1980, the BWI Rail Station opened, providing a connection for passengers on the Northeast Corridor through Amtrak. BWI was the first airport in the U.S. with a dedicated intercity rail station. The station provided rail transit access to Washington, D.C., something that Dulles International Airport did not achieve until late 2022.

In 1997, a new international terminal (Concourse E), designed by STV Group and William Nicholas Bodouva & Associates, was added, though Dulles continues to hold the lion's share of the region's international flights, and BWI has not attracted many long-haul international carriers.

The first transatlantic nonstops were on World Airways about 1981; British Airways arrived at BWI a few years later. Aer Lingus, Air Jamaica, Air Aruba, Air Greenland, El Al, Icelandair, KLM, Air Canada, Ladeco, and Mexicana previously flew to BWI. Military flights, operated by the U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Command, continue to have a significant presence at BWI.

Over the first half of the 1990s, runway 15L/33R was extended 1,800 feet (550 m) from 3,199 ft (975 m) to its current length of 5,000 ft (1,500 m), allowing it to be used by small passenger jets like the Boeing 737.

Beginning in the 1980s and for much of the 1990s, BWI was a hub for Piedmont Airlines and successor US Airways, but that airline's financial problems in the wake of the dot-com bust, the September 11 attacks, and low fare competition forced it to cut back. The airport has been a haven for low-cost flights in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan Area since Southwest Airlines' arrival in September 1993 and subsequent expansion in the early 2000s. Southwest is the airport's largest carrier, accounting for 56.12% of the airport's passengers in 2011. Southwest Airlines currently serves on average 245 daily departures to the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean.

21st century

Southwest Airlines planes at Concourses A-B

In July 2000, Ghana Airways began service from BWI to Accra. The airline operated the flight with McDonnell Douglas DC-10s and sought to serve the many people of West African origin residing in the region.

Four years later, in July 2004, the U.S. federal government prohibited Ghana Airways from flying to the U.S. According to officials, the company was operating on an expired license and had disobeyed orders to stop flying an unsafe plane.

In 2005, to accommodate Southwest's extensive presence at the airport, Concourses A and B were expanded, renovated, and integrated with one another to house all of that airline's operations there for their major operating base. The new facility, designed by URS Corporation, opened on May 22, 2005. On October 1 of that year, the airport was renamed Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, to honor former U.S. Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, a native of Baltimore.

In June 2006, North American Airlines introduced a link to Accra via Banjul, The Gambia, marking the restoration of direct flights between Baltimore and Africa. The carrier employed Boeing 767s on the route. Afterward, it made the Accra flight nonstop and added a route to Lagos. North American ended all scheduled service in May 2008.

In 2008, Health magazine named BWI the second-healthiest airport in the United States. In 2009 the airport had a six percent increase in air travelers due to the proliferation of discount flights. In a 2009 survey of airport service quality by Airports Council International, BWI was the world's top ranking airport in the 15-to-25-million-passenger category. BWI also ranked seventh, in medium-sized airports, based on customer satisfaction conducted by J.D. Power and Associates.

On August 5, 2014, the airport's little-used runway, 04–22, was permanently closed. It was 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) long and used primarily when the main runways needed to be closed for repairs. The last operation on the runway was a Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago Midway Airport, which arrived at 4:18 AM.

In 2015, Norwegian Air Shuttle announced it would begin flights from the airport to Guadeloupe and Martinique. In an interview with The Baltimore Sun, Norwegian Air Shuttle CEO Bjorn Kjos said, "Baltimore is high on the list for long-haul destinations", hinting at further expansion into Europe. In mid-2018, however, the airline ceased all flights out of Baltimore, attributing the cessation to heavy financial losses.

In early 2016, a partnership between the airport and Towson University's WTMD radio station was announced, including a new concert series that takes place at the terminal's baggage claim on the lower level. Local bands included Wye Oak and others. The new series followed the release event of Animal Collective's new album Painting With on November 25, 2015, where the new album was streamed throughout the airport.

In late 2018, construction began on a $60 million, five-gate expansion of terminal A for Southwest Airlines. The new expansion began operations in 2021. 2018 also marked a new annual record for passenger traffic at BWI Marshall Airport with over 27.1 million passengers.

In 2021, commuter airline Southern Airways Express ended its hub at BWI and switched its East Coast hub to Washington Dulles International Airport. In addition, the airport's international growth continued with the addition of a twice-weekly flight by Air Senegal to Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, via a stop in Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York City. However, in January 2023, Air Senegal ceased the New York City to Baltimore portion of this route, dropping Baltimore back down to only two year-round transatlantic flights. In 2022, Play Airlines began daily nonstop flights from Baltimore to Reykjavík, Iceland, which was quickly followed a few weeks later by Icelandair also resuming flights from BWI to Reykjavík.

On January 26, 2023, Copa Airlines announced they would start operating direct flights to Panama City, making it the first Central America-based airline to operate out of the airport. The flights began as scheduled in late June 2023.

Renovations and expansion

In October 2022, a proposed renovation and expansion to BWI Airport was announced. It has been described as the "largest capital project in the history of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport". This project includes major upgrades to the airports' Baggage Handling System as well as a renovation and expansion to the airports' A/B Connector, which will provide passengers with a direct connection between concourses A and B.

The project (according to airport management as well as Clark Construction, the company hired for the project) is expected to "transform the customer experience by adding a direct connection between concourses, expanding airline hold rooms, creating new food and retail concession spaces, enhancing restrooms, and introducing a new, fully in-line baggage handling system for Southwest." The project is estimated to cost $425 million and is expected to be fully completed in summer 2026.

Facilities

Runways

BWI Airport covers 3,160 acres (4.9 sq mi; 12.8 km) of land and has three active runways:

  • 10/28: 10,503 ft × 150 ft (3,201 m × 46 m). Runway 28 is the main takeoff runway, unless wind conditions require takeoffs from Runway 15R. Runway 10 is equipped with ILS category IIIB, and runway 28 is equipped with ILS category I.
  • 15R/33L: 9,501 ft × 150 ft (2,896 m × 46 m): Runway 33L is the main landing runway, unless wind or fog conditions require landings on Runway 10 with its higher ILS rating. Thomas A. Dixon Aircraft Observation Area at Friendship Park overlooks Runway 33L. Equipped with ILS category I in both directions.
  • 15L/33R: 5,000 ft × 100 ft (1,524 m × 30 m). Main runway for general aviation and smaller commercial aircraft. Originally 3,200 ft (980 m), it was extended in the 1990s and is able to handle emergency landings by Boeing 737 aircraft, by far the most popular plane at the airport. Equipped with ILS category I in both directions.
  • Runway 4/22 (defunct): 6,000 ft × 150 ft (1,829 m × 46 m). Closed in 2014, this runway is now part of taxiways and aprons.

Terminal

BWI's international terminal at Pier E

Baltimore/Washington International Airport has five concourses with 78 gates. Of these, 14 are international (all 11 gates in Concourse E are international gates, five of E's gates are arrival-only, and three gates in Concourse D are also international gates).

  • Concourse A/B has 30 gates. Both are of exclusive use for Southwest.
  • Concourse C has 14 gates. Used by Southwest, American and Contour.
  • Concourse D has 23 gates. Used by all non-Southwest and American domestic flights, and Air Canada.
  • Concourse E has 11 gates. Used for all international flights; international flights from Southwest and Spirit arrive here.

Cargo concourse

The airport's cargo concourse covers a 395,000 sq ft (36,700 m) area. Its facilities include a 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m) cargo building in the Midfield Cargo Complex, including a 200,000 square feet warehouse used for Amazon Air, a foreign trade zone, a 17 acres (6.9 ha) air cargo ramp, and ramp parking for 17 aircraft with direct nose-in access for eight freighters.

Ground transportation

A Baltimore Light Rail train at BWI Rail Station

BWI was ranked one of the "Top 10 Easiest U.S. Airports to Get to" by Aviation.com in 2007.

BWI is located at the southeast terminus of Interstate 195, a spur route providing connections to the Baltimore–Washington Parkway and Interstate 95. The airport has a variety of parking options, ranging from a garage within walking distance to the concourses to remote parking lots that require shuttles to access.

A light rail station, with service to downtown Baltimore and other locations via Baltimore Light RailLink, is located next to Concourse E.

Amtrak and MARC trains regularly serve the BWI Rail Station, located on airport grounds but about a mile from the terminal, with free shuttle bus service connecting the destinations. Trains on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, Acela and MARC's Penn Line stop at the station and proceed to destinations including Union Station in Washington, D.C. and Penn Station in Baltimore.

Local buses that stop at the airport terminal include the Maryland Transit Administration's 75 route to Patapsco station on Light RailLink and Arundel Mills Mall, as well as route 201, which connects the airport to Shady Grove station on the Washington Metro.

Passenger van service to and from the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland is available through BayRunner Shuttle with services to and from BWI to Kent Island, Easton, Cambridge, Salisbury, Ocean Pines, and Ocean City (for the Eastern Shore) and Grantsville, Frostburg, Cumberland, Hancock, Hagerstown, and Frederick (for Western Maryland). There are also numerous private car, rental car, and cab services, as well as shuttles that go to and from BWI to local hotels; Baltimore and Washington and their suburbs; and Central and Western Maryland.

Some former ground transportation services have been discontinued, including bicycle-sharing system from the Boston-based company Zagster and the Washington Metro's B30 bus, which was an express service to Greenbelt station.

Other facilities

The airport's Thomas A Dixon Jr. Aircraft Observation Area

In 1985, the BWI Business District was established as a way to formalize businesses and hotels operating adjacent to the airport. The district comprises two smaller districts located to the north (West Nursery Hotel District) and west (Stoney Run District) of the airport. Numerous traveler resources and employment centers are located within both districts, such as the BWI Rail Station and BWI Rental Car Facility in the Stoney Run District, and the BWI Business District Light Rail Station, the NSA Friendship Annex, and dozens of hotel facilities in the West Nursery District.

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security facility is located in the lower level of the main terminal, near the international arrivals area / Concourse E Baggage Claim. This facility also includes a Global Entry Enrollment Center, as well as a TSA PreCheck enrollment facility.

In the early 1990s, BWI Airport opened the Thomas A. Dixon Aircraft Observation Area at Friendship Park. The observation plaza features a playground and a terrace overlooking the southern approach to the airport's 15R-33L runway. From this vantage point, several planes can be viewed simultaneously as they prepare for landing. The southern loop of the 13.3 mile BWI Trail travels through the park, providing cyclist and pedestrian access to the park.

In addition to the Thomas A. Dixon Aircraft Observation Area, which provides spotters with views of aircraft landing on runway 33L, spotters can use one of several parking garages to view arrivals to runway 15R, with some arrivals appearing to be below the spotter.

The Maryland Aviation Administration has its headquarters on the third floor of the terminal building.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinationsRefs
Alaska Airlines Seattle/Tacoma
Allegiant Air Asheville, Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Savannah
Seasonal: Knoxville, Punta Gorda (FL)
American Airlines Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami
American Eagle Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare
Seasonal: Miami
Avelo Airlines Seasonal: New Haven, Wilmington (NC)
BermudAir Bermuda
British Airways London–Heathrow
Contour Airlines Macon/Warner Robins (GA)
Copa Airlines Panama City–Tocumen
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City
Delta Connection Boston
Frontier Airlines Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago–Midway, Cleveland, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Miami, Orlando, San Juan
Seasonal: Denver, Tampa
Icelandair Reykjavík–Keflavík
Play Reykjavík–Keflavík
Southwest Airlines Albany, Albuquerque, Aruba, Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham (AL), Boston, Buffalo, Cancún, Charleston (SC), Charlotte, Chicago–Midway, Chicago–O'Hare, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbus–Glenn, Dallas–Love, Denver, Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Grand Rapids, Greenville/Spartanburg, Hartford, Houston–Hobby, Indianapolis, Jackson (MS), Jacksonville (FL), Kansas City, Las Vegas, Long Beach (begins June 5, 2025), Long Island/Islip, Los Angeles, Louisville, Manchester (NH), Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montego Bay, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, New Orleans, Norfolk, Ontario (CA) (begins June 5, 2025), Orlando, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Providence, Punta Cana, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Rochester (NY), Sacramento (resumes March 6, 2025), Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco (begins June 5, 2025), San Jose (CA) (resumes June 5, 2025), San José (CR), San Juan, Sarasota, Savannah, St. Louis, Tampa, West Palm Beach
Seasonal: Belize City, Grand Cayman, Liberia (CR), Nassau, Oakland, Panama City (FL), Portland (OR) (begins June 5, 2025), Providenciales, San José del Cabo, Seattle/Tacoma
Spirit Airlines Atlanta, Boston, Cancún, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Houston–Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, Orlando, Portland (OR), Sacramento, San Juan, Tampa (ends December 29, 2024)
Seasonal: San Diego
Sun Country Airlines Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul
United Airlines Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, San Francisco
United Express Houston–Intercontinental

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Amazon Air Atlanta, Chicago/Rockford, Cincinnati, Houston–Intercontinental, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Ontario, Portland (OR), Riverside/March Air Base, Sacramento, St. Louis, Tampa, Wilmington (OH)
Atlas Air Chicago/Rockford, Cincinnati, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Worth/Alliance, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Newark, Ontario, San Jose (CA), Stockton, Ypsilanti
DHL Aviation Cincinnati
FedEx Express Columbus–Rickenbacker, Harrisburg, Indianapolis, Memphis
FedEx Feeder Newark, Salisbury
UPS Airlines Chicago/Rockford, Louisville, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from BWI (September 2023 – August 2024)
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Georgia (U.S. state) Atlanta, Georgia 907,810 Delta, Southwest, Spirit, Frontier
2 Florida Orlando, Florida 758,750 Frontier, Southwest, Spirit
3 Florida Fort Lauderdale, Florida 500,430 Southwest, Spirit
4 Colorado Denver, Colorado 473,740 Frontier, Southwest, United
5 Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts 454,610 Delta, Southwest
6 North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina 425,730 American, Southwest
7 Florida Tampa, Florida 399,720 Southwest, Spirit
8 Florida Miami, Florida 329,770 American, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit
9 Illinois Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 298,720 American, Southwest, United
10 Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada 293,210 Southwest, Spirit
Busiest international routes from BWI (January 2023 – December 2023)
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Mexico Cancún, Mexico 406,285 Frontier, Southwest, Spirit
2 Jamaica Montego Bay, Jamaica 218,668 Southwest
3 Iceland Reykjavík–Keflavík, Iceland 178,147 Icelandair, Play
4 Dominican Republic Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 133,627 Southwest
5 United Kingdom London–Heathrow, United Kingdom 103,819 British Airways
6 Canada Toronto–Pearson, Canada 58,926 Air Canada
7 Panama Panama City, Panama 28,204 Copa
8 Aruba Oranjestad, Aruba 22,364 Southwest
9 Germany Frankfurt, Germany 19,586 Condor
10 Costa Rica Liberia, Costa Rica 19,301 Southwest

Airline market share

Largest airlines at BWI
(September 2023 – August 2024)
Rank Airline Passengers Share
1 Southwest Airlines 18,615,000 71.44%
2 Spirit Airlines 2,083,000 8.19%
3 Delta Air Lines 1,089,000 4.28%
4 United Airlines 1,089,000 4.28%
5 American Airlines 1,000,000 3.93%
6 Other 1,553,000 6.11%

Annual traffic

Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Annual passenger traffic at BWI airport. See Wikidata query.
Annual passenger traffic at BWI
2006–present
Year Passengers Year Passengers
2006 20,698,967 2016 25,122,651
2007 21,044,384 2017 26,369,411
2008 20,488,881 2018 27,145,831
2009 20,953,615 2019 26,993,896
2010 21,936,461 2020 11,204,511
2011 22,391,785 2021 18,868,429
2012 22,679,987 2022 22,804,744
2013 22,498,353 2023 26,200,143
2014 22,312,676 2024 22,819,049(YTD)
2015 23,823,532 2025

Accidents and incidents at or near BWI

  • On March 25, 1953, a USAF North American B-25 Mitchell, aircraft serial # 44–29864, crashed 3 miles SE of Glen Burnie, Maryland on approach to then Friendship Int'l Airport because of weather factors. All three occupants on board were killed. This was the first fatal accident at or near the airport since its opening in July 1950.
  • On January 2, 1973, a Piedmont Airlines NAMC YS-11 (registration unknown) with 4 occupants on board was intended to be hijacked. One passenger remained on board after landing at BWI and demanded to be taken to Canada. A Roman Catholic cardinal and an FBI agent talked the individual into surrendering. There were no injuries or fatalities.
  • On February 22, 1974, Samuel Byck entered BWI, shot and killed an aviation police officer and stormed onto Delta Air Lines Flight 523. He killed the first officer and severely wounded the captain. He intended to hijack the plane and crash it into the White House. A gunfight ensued, and Byck was mortally wounded by a police officer from outside the aircraft. Byck killed himself before police stormed the aircraft. The attempted hijacking was later portrayed in the 2004 film, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts.
  • On January 9, 1985, a Westinghouse Electric Corporation North American Sabreliner on short final nosed down into the displaced threshold of runway 33L, causing the aircraft to bounce and collapsing the landing gear after settling on the runway. Both occupants survived, but the aircraft was substantially damaged.
  • On December 10, 1992, a Volpar Turboliner operated by Connie Kalitta Services crashed 3 miles (4.8 km) west of BWI in Elkridge due to a shift in cargo in the aircraft during final approach. The sole occupant, the pilot, was killed.
  • On May 6, 2009, a World Airways DC-10-30 with registration N139WA operating as Flight 8535 from Leipzig, Germany for the Military Airlift Command experienced a hard landing at BWI. As a result of the captain's response to the hard landing, the plane's nose wheel struck the runway hard two times. The aircraft blew one of its front tires and had to execute a go-around before landing successfully. Several passengers were injured, including the first officer, who suffered back trauma. The age of the aircraft (29 years 11 months at the time of the accident) and the extent of damage to the front landing gear and fuselage resulted in the aircraft being written off. The aircraft was parted out and is now used on-site for fire/rescue training and practice purposes.
  • On December 12, 2014, Southwest Airlines Flight 3118, a Boeing 737-700, encountered multiple bird strikes while on approach to BWI. There were no injuries to the 145 passengers and crew, but the aircraft was substantially damaged. There was damage to the 178 forward pressure bulkhead and left wing fixed leading edge main rib. The plane was repaired and placed back into service.
  • On August 4, 2016, Southwest Airlines Flight 149, a Boeing 737-300 bound for Atlanta Int'l Airport, suffered a failure of the nose landing gear during pushback at BWI because of the tug operators excessive speed during pushback. The nose gear collapsed in a forward direction, causing severe damage to the gear structure, the nose gear wheel and crushing the forward bulkhead. There were no injuries among the 6 crew and 129 passengers but the aircraft, which was 23 years old at the time of the incident, was substantially damaged and written off.
  • On February 7, 2020, a Mountain Air Cargo Cessna 208 Caravan, operating for FedEx, was conducting an instrument landing system (ILS) approach in night meteorological conditions to runway 10 at BWI. After landing safely, it was discovered the pilot struck four separate approach light towers as well as a localizer antenna, causing substantial damage to the plane's empennage, right horizontal stabilizer, right wing strut, and front cargo pod. A piece of an approach light was also caught on the plane's right landing gear. The aircraft was substantially damaged, but repaired and placed back into service.
  • On September 14, 2024, a Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six crashed just off the departure end of runway 15L, the general aviation runway at BWI. The pilot and two passengers on board did not sustain any major injuries, but the aircraft did sustain substantial damage.

In popular culture

BWI has been a backdrop in six films, Goldfinger (1964), Broadcast News (1987), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Company Business (1991), Home for the Holidays (1995), and Twelve Monkeys (1995).

It was also featured in the reality TV series Airline (2004–2005), an episode of the TV series House of Cards, and the TV documentaries Honor Flight (2007) and Eatin' Crabs Chesapeake Style (2009).

Notes

References

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