Miami International Airport is situated in Miami-Dade County, 8 miles (13 kilometers) northwest of Downtown Miami, and is one of three airports in the Miami area. The airport is one of the busiest in the world, is Florida’s busiest airport by total aircraft operations and cargo traffic, and is second only to Orlando International Airport for total passenger traffic in Florida.
Over a thousand flights take off from Miami International Airport every single day to over 167 different domestic and international locations on all continents of the world, as the airport is South Florida’s main airport for long-haul international flights. Miami International Airport is also the largest gateway between Latin America and the United States.
Early Beginnings
The Construction of Pan American Field
When you look at the magnificent size of Miami International Airport today, it is hard to believe that the site was originally a simple patch of scrubland owned by the Seminole Fruit and Land Company. In 1928, Pan-American Airways purchased this 116-acre tract and constructed Pan American Field – the humble origins of the Miami International Airport of today.
Pan-American Field began construction in September 1928, with modern design in mind. A far cry from the immense scope of the current airport, Pan American Field originally had only a terminal, two hard-surfaced runways, concrete aprons, and two hangar buildings.
The terminal was designed by prominent architects Delano and Aldrich and constructed for $50,000 (around $770,000 today). It was notable for being the first terminal designed solely for passenger use in the United States.
The First Flight
Pan-American Field’s first scheduled flight was a Pan Am twin-engine Sikorsky S-38 amphibian aircraft, piloted by Captain Edwin Musick. The plane departed on September 15, 1928, and carried both mail and passengers. Its destination was Key West, where its cargo boarded a larger Fokker F-7 for the journey to Havana, however, within two months, Pan-American Field had purchased a Fokker F-7 of their own and therefore no longer needed the stop at Key West.
Quick Growth
By 1929, Pan-American Field had invested over $500,000 (nearly $7,700,000 today) in twelve passenger planes, most of them Fokkers. Daily mail and passenger services operated from the airport, and the company had a range of offices from Key West to Miami.
Pan-American Field quickly became the leading port of entry by air. In January 1929 Charles Lindbergh piloted a Sikorsky S-38 to commemorate the official opening of the airport.
Expansion in the Mid-Century
The 36th Street Airport
Before Pan American became mainly a flying boat airline in the 1930s, Pan American Field boasted a rate of 8,600 passengers and 20 tons of cargo a year. Pan-American Field then became an overhaul and maintenance base for the company’s amphibian aircraft, as the main airport operations moved to Dinner Key.
In 1934 Pan American Field was opened up for use by other airlines, and both Eastern Airlines and National Airlines quickly set up operations there. This resulted in the now multi-line airport becoming known as the 36th Street Airport. Purchase by the Dade County Board of Commissioners.
Pan-American expanded the airport significantly in 1940, adding 114 acres of land. By the middle of the 1940s, airlines such as Delta Air Lines were using the 36th Street Airport.
The Dade County Board of Commissions also began to purchase the airport from Pan-American Airways in 1945 after being enabled to act as a Port Authority, using the first-ever airport revenue bonds ever issued in the United States.
Used during World War II, the Miami Army Airfield was located near the 36th Street Airport and was constructed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. It was a major pilot training center, hosting hundreds of thousands of pilots from all over the world during the war.
No longer required after the war, the Port Authority purchased the airfield in 1947, and it was absorbed into the 36th Street Airport. This was also the year that the airport received the name that it has kept ever since – Miami International Airport – and in 1949 it was the largest aircraft overhaul and maintenance facility for commercial aircraft globally.
New Facilities
By the 1950s, Miami International Airport was not only an immense airport but was handling immense numbers of passengers and cargo – in 1950, there were 900 flights a day! The airport began to emerge as the premier gateway to Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe, and more and more foreign airlines were running services out of the facility.
In 1957, the now-outdated facilities were overhauled, and a new terminal was built. 1959 saw the airport open five new concourses, a restaurant, a hotel, a post office, a two-level roadway system, various new shops, an office, and a new Delta hangar and maintenance facility, all of which bestowed Miami International Airport with the honor of being the largest centralized terminal in the world at the time.
New facilities were added throughout the 1960s, as Miami International Airport was handling over 4.2 million passengers a year at this point. Improvements continued to be made throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Capital Investment Program
South Florida’s tourism and trade industry required the expansion of the airport in the 1990s, and so the Capital Investment Program was launched, funded mainly by airport revenue bonds. This created over 196,000 jobs and generated over $13 billion in revenue, and brought the airport closer in line with the facilities that we know today.
Into the 21st Century
Miami International Airport now plays host to a range of prominent passenger and cargo airlines. Airlines that operate out of the airport include American Airlines, Avianca, Western Global Airlines, Atlas Air, FedEx Express, IBC Airways, Sky Lease Cargo, UPS Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and LATAM.
The airport is still expansive, covering 3,300 acres of land. Miami International Airport now contains three terminals (North, South, and Central) and six concourses, with 131 gates in total. There is also a range of cargo facilities, with the largest privately-owned cargo facility being the 550,000 sq ft Centurion Cargo complex.
A wide range of facilities is available for both guests and staff, including three American Airlines Admirals Clubs and one Flagship Lounge, an American Express Centurion Lounge, and many other shops, lounges, and eateries. There is also a range of transportation options that make getting to and around Miami International Airport easy. The MIA Mover transports passengers between terminals and the airport station for free, with direct service to Tri-Rail and Amtrak services included, and there is a range of extensive direct bus services available for passengers. For those looking for something beyond public transport, there is also a brand-new rental car center at the Miami Central Station.
A lot has changed for Miami International Airport over the course of nearly a century. New names, new buildings, and new planes have all made their mark on the facility. However, one thing remains the same, and that is the airport’s focus on providing the best possible experience for every passenger from every corner of the world. Here’s to the future of Miami International Airport – who knows what another hundred years will bring?
