The airport, which serves as one of several operating bases for Southwest Airlines, is the 22nd-busiest airport in the United States and the busiest in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area as of 2021.[9] BWI covers 3,160 acres (12.8 km2) of land and contains three runways.[10][11]
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 area began just before the end of World War II. In 1944, 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.[12][13] The cost of building the airport was estimated at $9 million.[13] 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 was generally good.[13] An alternate site along Gov. Ritchie Highway at Furnace Branch was rejected by the United States War Department, and another possible site at Lipin's Corner was deemed too far from Baltimore.[13] The State Aviation Commission approved of the Linthicum Heights site in 1946.[14]
Much of the land was purchased from Friendship Methodist Church in 1946,[15] and ground was broken on May 2, 1947.[16][17] Friendship Methodist Church held its last service on Easter Sunday in 1948.[18] Friendship Methodist Church was razed to make room for the new airport.[18] In addition, several pieces of land were bought,[19] and 170 bodies buried in a cemetery were moved.[20]Baltimore–Fort Meade Road was moved to the west to make way for the airport's construction.[21]
The Official Airline Guide for April 1957 shows 52 weekday departures: 19 Eastern, 12 Capital, 8 American, 4 National, 3 TWA, 3 United, 2 Delta, and 1 Allegheny. Miami had a couple of nonstop flights, but westward nonstop flights did not reach beyond Ohio; Baltimore'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 did not open until 1962, so Baltimore became Washington's jet airport in May–June 1959 when American and TWA began transcontinental 707 flights.[24] 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.[25]
The Maryland Department of Transportation purchased Friendship International Airport from the City of Baltimore for $36 million in 1972.[26] Under MDOT, the Maryland State Aviation Administration took over airfield operations and grew from three employees to more than 200. Plans to upgrade, improve, and modernize all Maryland airport facilities were announced almost immediately by the Secretary of Transportation, Harry Hughes.
To attract passengers from the Washington metropolitan area, particularly Montgomery and Prince George's counties,[27] the airport was renamed Baltimore/Washington International Airport, effective November 16, 1973.[28] Its IATA code, originally BAL, didn't reflect its new name for seven years until the International Air Transport Association assigned BWI to the airport on April 20, 1980, with the change becoming official six months later on October 26. The BWI code had previously been used by an airport in Bewani, Papua New Guinea.[29]
The first phase of the airport's modernization was completed in 1974 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).[28]
The terminal renovation program was complete in 1979, the most dramatic work of the airport's modernization, which was designed by DMJM along with Peterson & Brickbauer.[30] The BWI terminal more than doubled in size to 14.58 acres (5.90 ha); the number of gate positions 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.[28]
The BWI Rail Station opened in 1980, 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.[31] In particular, the station provided rail transit access to Washington, D.C., something that Dulles did not achieve until late 2022. In 1997 a new international terminal (Concourse E), designed by STV Group and William Nicholas Bodouva & Associates,[32] was added,[33] 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.[34] The first transatlantic nonstops were on World Airways about 1981; British Airways arrived at BWI a few years later. Aer Lingus,[35]Air Jamaica,[36]Air Aruba,[37]Air Greenland, El Al, Icelandair, KLM, Air Canada, Ladeco, and Mexicana previously flew to BWI. Military flights, operated by the U.S. Air Force'sAir Mobility Command, continue to have a significant presence at BWI.[38][39]
In 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.[citation needed]
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[40] and subsequent expansion in the early 2000s. Southwest is the airport's largest carrier, accounting for 56.12% of passengers carried in 2011.[41] Southwest Airlines currently serves on average 245 daily departures to the US, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Ghana Airways began service to Accra in July 2000.[42] 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.[43][44][45] In July 2004, the American government prohibited Ghana Airways from flying to the country. According to officials, the company was operating on an expired license and had disobeyed orders to stop flying an unsafe plane.[44][46] To accommodate Southwest's extensive presence at the airport, in 2005 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. This new facility, designed by URS Corporation, opened on May 22, 2005. On October 1 of that year, the airport was renamed again, becoming "Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport", to honor former US Supreme CourtjusticeThurgood Marshall, who grew up in Baltimore.[47][48]
North American Airlines introduced a link to Accra via Banjul in June 2006, marking the return of direct flights between Baltimore and Africa.[49][50] The carrier employed Boeing 767s on the route.[51] Afterward, it made the Accra flight nonstop and added a route to Lagos. North American ended all scheduled service in May 2008.[49][52] In 2008, Health magazine named BWI the second healthiest airport in the United States.[53] In 2009 the airport had a six percent increase in air travelers due to the proliferation of discount flights.[54] 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.[55] BWI also ranked seventh, in medium-sized airports, based on customer satisfaction conducted by J.D. Power and Associates.[56]
On August 5, 2014, the airport's little-used runway 04-22 was permanently closed.[57] 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 that arrived at 4:18 AM.[58]
In 2015, Norwegian Air Shuttle announced they would start 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 due to heavy financial losses.
In early 2016, a partnership between the airport and Towson University's WTMD Radio Station announced a new concert series that will take place at the terminal's baggage claim on the lower level.[59] The local bands of Wye Oak, Arboretum, and Super City. This new series follows 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.[60] The new expansion began operations in 2021.[61] 2018 also marked a new annual record for passenger traffic at BWI Marshall Airport with over 27.1 million passengers.[62]
On January 26, 2023, Copa Airlines announced they would start operating direct flights to Panama City, making them the first Central America-based airline to operate out of the airport. Those flights began as scheduled in late June 2023.[65]
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, four of E's gates are arrival-only, and three gates in Concourse D are also international gates).[67]
Concourse A/B has 30 gates. Both are of exclusive use for Southwest.[67]
Concourse C has 14 gates. Used by Southwest, American and Contour.[67]
Concourse D has 23 gates. Used by all non-Southwest and American domestic flights, and Air Canada.[67]
Concourse E has 11 gates. Used for all international flights; international flights from Southwest and Spirit arrive here.[67]
Cargo concourse
The airport's cargo concourse covers a 395,000 sq ft (36,700 m2) area. Its facilities include a 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m2) 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.
BWI was ranked one of the "Top 10 Easiest U.S. Airports to Get to" by Aviation.com in 2007.[68]
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.[69] 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.[70]
Some former ground transportation services have been discontinued, including bicycle-sharing system from the Boston-based company Zagster[72] 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 NSAFriendship 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.[73] 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.
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Annual passenger traffic at BWI airport.
See Wikidata query.
Annual passenger traffic at BWI 2006–present[109][110]
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
2015
23,823,532
2025
Accidents and incidents at or near BWI
On March 25, 1953, a USAFNorth 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.[111][112][113][114][115]
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.[116] The attempted hijacking was later portrayed in the 2004 film, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts.
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.[117]
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.[118]
^Commonly referred to as Baltimore/Washington International Airport, BWI, and BWI Marshall
References
^"About MDOT MAA". BWIairport.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019. The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Aviation Administration (MDOT MAA) is the owner and operator of BWI Marshall Airport (BWI) and Martin State Airport (KMTN).
^ abcd"Anne Arundel Airport Site is Favored: Bonnell Cites Advantages Of 2,100 Acres Near Linthicum Heights". The Baltimore Sun. August 10, 1944. p. 22.
^"Airport Farm Value Listed At $14,000 By City Appraiser". The Baltimore Sun. January 7, 1947. p. 6.
^"City to Move 170 Bodies: Will Pay To Transfer Those Buried On Airport Site". The Baltimore Sun. September 27, 1946. p. 19.
^"City Will Pay for Road Shift: Meade Highway Runs Through Projected New Airport". The Baltimore Sun. October 6, 1946. p. 18.
^"Cooperation Built Airport, Truman Says: President Dedicates Baltimore Project; Praises Aid Programs Truman Lauds Cooperation". The Washington Post. June 25, 1950.
^"BWI Timeline: 1990 to 1999". BWI History at a Glance. Maryland Aviation Administration. Archived from the original on March 28, 2010. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
^Tkacik, Christina (March 2, 2023). "BWI is a gem among East Coast airports. (Sorry, Dulles.)". The Baltimore Banner. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023. Only a fraction of Dulles' sheer geographic size, BWI serves fewer international destinations. As former Oriole Adam Jones responded to me via Twitter, "Dulles is waaaaaaay out the way. But Dulles has a lot more international flights. So there's a trade off." Another commenter called BWI "utterly useless" for those "trying to leave North America."
^"Aer Lingus Launches 'Quick Trips'". Irish Voice. New York. November 25, 2003. p. 8.
^Curcio, Barbara. "Worldwise". The Washington Post. October 31, 1993. p. E03.
^"How to Fly Military Space-A via BWI". Poppin' Smoke. October 24, 2019. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2023. Although it's a civilian airport, it has more missions to and from Ramstein AB than any other location in the U.S.
^Ashford, Terry Dwayne (July 15, 2000). "The 'I' is for International: BWI gets direct link to West Africa". Afro-American Red Star. ProQuest369707543.
^"Lancaster's Hometown Airline to Serve Washington-Dulles". Aviation Pros. April 19, 2021. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2023. Southern Airways Express, the hometown airline of Lancaster, PA since 2016, is moving its East Coast hub from Baltimore to Washington Dulles International Airport.
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