JANUARY 2003
>> As of January 1st, all airports in the United States have begun
checking all luggage bags for explosives. All airports were required to
install new equipment to take care of this new procesure. Currently, more
than 90% of them are checked electronically, dramatically up from 5% before
September 11 terrorist attacks. Those not screened by machines are being
gone over by hand or by bomb-sniffing dogs. (01/01/03)
>> Newark Liberty International Airport is the new name for Newark International Airport. (11/01/02)
AUGUST 2002
>> The Phoenix
Sky Harbor airport began a "mail back" program to enable
passengers to mail home items that were prohibited to pass through the
security checkpoints. The program allows travelers to take the items to
a special counter where they can purchase envelopes and postage and mail
the items to their homes. (08/23/02)
>> The Milan Linate airport shuts down at least through August 26
for refurbishment of the runway and passenger boarding areas, including
installation of additional metal detectors. In the interim, Linate services
will use Milan Malpensa and Bergamo-Orio al Serio, both of which are about
50 km from inner-city Milan. (08/14/02)
>> The Department of Transportation authorized Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to be able to return to it pre-September 11th capacity on April 15, 2002. With a return to full service, operations at National will be permitted to reach approximately 800 daily flights and serve all cities it had previously served. (03/13/02)
FEBRUARY 2002
>> The Ireland government has approved the construction of a new
terminal at the Dublin
Airport specifically for use by low-fare airlines. The new terminal
is expected to cost about $13 to $17 million and should be operational
by 2003. (02/07/02)
>> Miami International Airport breaks ground on the $779.2 million South Terminal. The South Terminal or Concourse J will encompass 1.3 million square feet, it will add 15 international/domestic gates, a baggage sortation system, a security screening system, a cruise and tour bus depot, 142 common use ticketing positions and approximately 50,000 square feet of concession area besides a Federal Inspection Services facility. The terminal is scheduled to be completed in 2005, will be home to United Airlines and their Star Alliance partners as well as Delta Airlines and their Sky Team partners. (01/15/02)
>> Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will resume operations on Thursday, October 4th after being closed down by the FAA since the September 11th terrorist attacks. (10/04/01)
>> San Francisco International Airport renames it's terminals with a new numbering scheme, that goes into effect October 1st. The South Terminal will become Terminal 1, the Central Terminal will be renamed Terminal 2, and the North Terminal will be renamed Terminal 3. The International Terminal will not receive a number designation. (10/01/01)
>> National Guard troops are to be deployed to United States airports as part of a broad new effort directed by the federal government to make flying safer and less stressful. (09/28/01)
>> The International Air Transport Association named the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport the Best Large Airport in North America for overall customer satisfaction for the second consecutive year in a row. This year the airport was also named Runner Up for Best Large Airport in the World. The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport ranks sixth in the world in overall customer satisfaction and leads all other large airports in two categories: "Ease of Finding Your Way Around" and "Best Restaurants." (07/16/01)
>>New Orleans officially renames it's airport to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. A new logo and signs for the New Orleans airport will be unveiled on August 2nd, two days before Armstrong's 100th birthday. (07/13/01)
>>Liverpool will honor John Lennon when it opens it's new terminal in the Spring 2002 by renaming the airport to Liverpool John Lennon Airport. (07/06/01)
>> The Hong Kong Airport Authority announces a major upgrade to it's terminal facilities and services at the Hong Kong International Airport. The upgrade will bring new shops,
restaurants, cafes and other attractions to the terminal over the next three years. (06/21/01)
>> The CNN Airport Network will now help travellers at the airport be advised of airport delays. Starting today they will provide a ticker on the bottom of the screen that will read: "FAA airport delay advisory", the ticker will contain the city/airport name, the airport's abbreviation code and the delay time. If there are no delays greater than 60 minutes, the ticker will not appear. The airport delay information will come directly from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Air Traffic Control System Command Center web site. The list of major airports the ticker will include are: Atlanta (ATL), Baltimore (BWI), Boston (BOS), Charlotte (CLT), Chicago (ORD), Cincinnati (CVG), Cleveland (CLE), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Denver (DEN), Detroit (DTW), Houston (IAH), LaGuardia (LGA), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Minneapolis (MSP), Newark (EWR), New York (JFK), Orlando (MCO), Philadelphia (PHL), Phoenix (PHX), Pittsburgh (PIT), Reagan National (DCA), Salt Lake City (SLC), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), St. Louis (STL) and Washington Dulles (IAD). (06/06/01)
>> The new $73 million, 450,000 square feet Hubert H. Humphrey Terminal opened at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The new facility is four times the size of the previous terminal, it opened with four gates and will have 9 or 10 gates by the end of the year. Airlines that will operate at the new terminal include Sun Country, Champion Air, Casino Express, Omni International and Ryan International Airlines. (05/02/01)
>> The Australian government announced that it will sell it's interest in the Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) Airport in a trade sale later this year. (03/29/01)
>> A new terminal was opened at Cape Town International Airport. (03/28/01)
>> Orlando Sanford International Airport will hold a Grand Opening celebration for its new terminal complex on March 23, 2001. The celebration will mark the completion of a 27 million-dollar terminal expansion. (03/05/01)
>> The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was closed temporarly after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake shook Seattle. The control tower suffered substantial damage to the facility and its equipment. TheFAA has installed a temporary control tower elsewhere on the field to handle air traffic operations. (02/28/01)
>> New YorkÕs JFK Airport will open its fourth terminal in May. Terminal 4 will be the only 24-hour terminal at the airport and will be used by 29 airlines including Aer Lingus, Continental, KLM, Sabena and Swissair. Facilities include 144 check-in desks and 16 gates, two of which will be capable of serving the Airbus A3XX. (02/20/01)
>> Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis announced that Athens' new international airport will begin operation on March 28. (02/16/01)
>> Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) reported record passenger levels during 2000. LAX reported an all-time high of 67.6 million passengers, ranking it the world's fourth busiest airport. (02/12/01)
>> Incheon International Airport is scheduled to open on March 29 to replace Seoul's congested Kimpo International Airport as South Korea's gateway for international flights. This weekend they will begin the task of moving necessary equipment to the new facility. Kimpo International Airport will be then used only for domestic flights. (02/05/01)
>> Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport was shut down after an explosion destroyed a restroom toilet, injuring three people and setting nearby shops on fire. Flames and smoke from a burning dry cleaners and fast-food restaurant inside the airport set off smoke alarms, and confused passengers were sent outdoors into the snow and freezing cold. (01/18/01)