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The Palm Beach County Department of Airports
operates and maintains the Palm Beach International
Airport (PBIA), the Palm Beach Park Airport in
Lantana, Palm Beach County Glades Airport in Pahokee
and the North County Airport on the Bee Line Highway
- north of PGA Boulevard. PBIA is the center for all
commercial air carrier service into Palm Beach
County. The Lantana Airport and North County Airport
are general aviation airports serving private and
corporate airplanes. The Glades Airport serves the
general aviation needs of the Glades region.
Commercially, PBIA had its beginning in 1936 when it
was known as Morrison Field. It was named for Miss
Grace K. Morrison, who was a pioneer in the early
planning and organizing which culminated in the
establishment of the field. The inaugural airline
flight was made by a New York bound Eastern Air
Lines DC-2 in 1936. Eastern's daily northbound
flights departed in Miami, landed at West Palm Beach
and 11 other cities and arrived in New York 13 1/2
hours after leaving Morrison Field.The field was
officially dedicated and opened on December 19, 1936
with nothing more than the strip itself and a small
administration building.
Palm Beach Aero Corporation obtained a five year
lease in January 1937 for a hangar site and fixed
base operational privileges. The first hangar, along
with ramps and facilities was ready for use by
flights at a small building on the south side of the
airport, which became known as the Eastern Air Lines
Terminal. |
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The outbreak of World War II in Europe caused the
United States to quietly begin a massive defense
build-up. In November 1940, the U.S. Army Air Corps
began converting Morrison Field for military
purposes and activated it for military use in 1941.
Scheduled commercial service and private planes were
relocated to the new Lantana Airport, six miles
south. A month after Pearl Harbor, when the allied
nations built up forces to invade France, Morrison
Field processed 6,200 planes and 45,000 fliers. Many
of them took off from Morrison Field for the D-Day
invasion of Normandy.
In 1947, the operations of the Air Transport Command
were transferred to Mobile, Alabama, and Morrison
Field was deactivated on June 30, 1947. In
September, the County took over the two-story Air
Force operations building on the north side of the
airport for use as a passenger terminal. |
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In 1948, the County decided that for long-term
business and tourism growth, it should capitalize on
the value of an internationally known name such as
Palm Beach. On August 11, the Board of County
Commissioners voted to officially change the name
from Morrison Field to Palm Beach International
Airport.
For the next four years, the airport operated as a
civilian airport. But in September, 1951, during the
Korean War, the Air Force reactivated Morrison Air
Force Base. Civilian operations and the passenger
terminal were once again relocated to the south side
of the field, first in a hangar and then in an
adjacent building.
Nearly 23,000 airmen trained in West Palm Beach
during the Korean conflict. After the war, and after
several years of fighting the federal government's
move to the make the airport a permanent military
base, the County took over airport operations in
1959. |
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Throughout the 1940's, only Eastern Air Lines and
National served West Palm Beach. Starting in 1950,
Bahamas Air operated out of PBIA. "Q" Airways came
on the scene in 1952. Mackey arrived in 1953 and
Riddle operated for air freight only in 1955.
Capital came in for one year, 1954. Delta Air Lines
started DC-7 service in 1960, followed a year later
by United.
In the 1950's, passengers left PBIA through the
County's first permanent terminal located on
Southern Boulevard. The terminal cost nearly
$125,000 to build and was demolished in 1991.
In 1960, the 2,000 acres at PBIA were officially
transferred to the ownership of Palm Beach County.
During that time, Palm Beach County's needs were
rapidly outgrowing the aging facility. President
John F. Kennedy's frequent arrivals on Air Force One
at PBIA also focused attention on the airport.
Although there was a controversy over the issue of
relocating the airport because of expansion needs,
the general election of November 1963 proved that
the voters did not want the airport moved. Plans for
expansion began instead and in 1965, a $4 million
bond issue funded the construction of the
maintenance terminal and surrounding facilities.
On October 29, 1966, the main terminal at PBIA was
dedicated. Federal officials later built a new air
traffic control tower at the facility. In 1974,
Delta Air Lines constructed the airport's second
main terminal. |
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On October 23, 1988, the David McCampbell Terminal,
named for World War II naval flying ace, Medal of
Honor winner and Palm Beach County resident David
McCampbell, was officially dedicated. Funded with
about $150 million in revenue bonds, it has twice
the number of gates (25), and potential for 24 more.
The new 560,000 square feet terminal includes a two
story concession mall, which runs the entire length
of the building. It is designed in the tradition of
Palm Beach architect Addision Mizner, using keystone
walls and porticos. Other features include two
passenger concourses; a separate commuter concourse
and holding area; and a new, beautifully landscaped
roadway system leading to separate levels at the
terminal for arriving and departing passengers.
There are 1,100 short-term parking spaces on top of
the terminal and 2,300 long-term spaces at ground
level. State-of-the-art jetways with built-in power
and air conditioning sources eliminated the need for
auxiliary power units. Level two (2) in the terminal
(mall level) has seven restaurants, three lounges
and the Airport Business Center.
Phase II of the Airport expansion program which will
virtually double the existing facility's size and
capacity has been planned and construction will
begin as the need develops.
There are 16 commercial and commuter airlines
currently operating out of PBIA. Over 5.8 million
passengers passed through PBIA in 1998.
PBIA is conveniently located to serve the air trade
area of Palm Beach County and the four surrounding
counties. The Airport is located 2.5 miles west of
downtown West Palm Beach and 3.5 miles west of Palm
Beach. |
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