Lambert–St. Louis International Airport

"Lambert Field" redirects here. For the former baseball stadium at Purdue University, see Lambert Field (Purdue).
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
IATA: STL – ICAO: KSTL – FAA LID: STL
– WMO: 72434
Summary
Airport type Government owned
Owner City Government of St. Louis
Operator St. Louis City Government Airport Authority
Serves Greater St. Louis, Missouri
Location Unincorporated St. Louis County 10 miles (16 km) NW of St. Louis
Hub for
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL 605 ft / 184.4 m
Coordinates 38°44′50″N 090°21′41″W / 38.74722°N 90.36139°W / 38.74722; -90.36139Coordinates: 38°44′50″N 090°21′41″W / 38.74722°N 90.36139°W / 38.74722; -90.36139
Website http://www.flystl.com/
Map
STL

Location within Missouri

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
12R/30L 11,019 3,359 Concrete
12L/30R 9,003 2,744 Concrete
11/29 9,000 2,743 Concrete
6/24 7,602 2,317 Concrete
Statistics (2014)
Aircraft operations 183,920
Passenger volume 12,752,331
Cargo tonnage 58,957
Area (acres) 2,800

Lambert–St. Louis International Airport (IATA: STL, ICAO: KSTL, FAA LID: STL) is an international airport serving Greater St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It is about 10 miles (16 km) northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. Commonly named Lambert Field, it is the largest and busiest airport in Missouri with 255 daily departures to about 90 domestic and international locations. In 2015, 12.7 million passengers traveled through the airport.[3] Lambert-St. Louis International is classified as a medium-sized airport in terms of passengers, but is currently the busiest in this category. The airport serves as a hub for Air Choice One and Cape Air, focus city for Southwest Airlines and was a former hub for Trans World Airlines and later for American Airlines. It is the primary airport serving the St. Louis area, with MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, located about 37 miles (59 km) east, serving as a secondary metropolitan airport. The two airports are connected by the city's rail mass transit Red Line of the St. Louis MetroLink.

Named for Albert Bond Lambert, an Olympic medalist and prominent St. Louis aviator, the airport rose to international prominence in the 20th century, thanks to its association with Charles Lindbergh, its groundbreaking air traffic control, its status as the hub of Trans World Airlines and its iconic terminal. Designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the building inspired terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France.

History

Aerial view of Naval Air Station St. Louis in the mid-1940s
Control tower and main terminal
131st Fighter Wing and American Airlines maintenance ramp at Lambert Airport

The airport grew from a balloon launching base, Kinloch Field, part of the 1890s Kinloch Park suburban development. The Wright brothers and their Exhibition Team visited the field while touring with their aircraft. During a visit to St. Louis, Theodore Roosevelt flew with pilot Arch Hoxsey on October 11, 1910, becoming the first U.S. president to fly. Later, Kinloch hosted the first experimental parachute jump.[4]

In June 1920, the Aero Club of St. Louis leased 170 acres of cornfield, the defunct Kinloch Racing Track[5] and the Kinloch Airfield in October 1923, during The International Air Races. The field was officially dedicated as Lambert–St. Louis Flying Field[6] in honor of Albert Bond Lambert, an Olympic silver medalist golfer in the 1904 Summer Games, president of Lambert Pharmaceutical Corporation (which made Listerine),[7] and the first person to receive a pilot's license in St. Louis. In February 1925, "Major" (his 'rank' was given by the Aero Club and not the military) Lambert bought the field and added hangars and a passenger terminal. Charles Lindbergh's first piloting job was flying airmail for Robertson Aircraft Corporation from Lambert Field; he left the airport for New York about a week before his record-breaking flight to Paris in 1927. Later that year, Lambert sold the airport to the City of St. Louis, making it the first municipally-owned airport in the United States.[8]

In the late 1920s, Lambert Field became the first airport with an air traffic control system—albeit one that communicated with pilots via waving flags. The first controller was Archie League.[9]

Robertson Airlines, Marquette Airlines and Eastern Air Lines provided passenger service to St. Louis.

In 1925, the airport became home to Naval Air Station St. Louis, a Naval Air Reserve facility that became an active-duty installation during World War II.[10]

During the war, the airport became a manufacturing base for McDonnell Aircraft and Curtiss-Wright.

After World War II – Airport expansion, Ozark Airlines 1945–1982

After the war, NAS St. Louis reverted to a reserve installation, supporting carrier-based fighters and land-based patrol aircraft. When it closed in 1958, most of its facilities were acquired by the Missouri Air National Guard and became Lambert Field Air National Guard Base. Some other facilities were retained by non-flying activities of the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve, while the rest was redeveloped to expand commercial airline operations at the airport.[10]

To handle the increasing passenger traffic, Minoru Yamasaki was commissioned to design a new terminal at Lambert. Completed in 1956, the four-domed design inspired terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.[8]

The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows TWA with 44 weekday departures; American, 24; Delta, 16; Ozark, 14; Eastern, 13; Braniff, six and Central, two. The first jets were TWA 707s in July 1959.

In the 1970s St. Louis city officials proposed to replace the airport with a new one in suburban Illinois. After Missouri residents objected in 1977, Lambert received a $290-million expansion that lengthened the runways, increased the number of gates to 81, and boosted its capacity by 50 percent. (A proposed Illinois airport was later built anyway, though not near the originally proposed site; MidAmerica St. Louis Airport opened in 1997 in Mascoutah, Illinois. As of 2015 the only scheduled passenger service is nonstop flights operated by Allegiant Air.[11]) Concourse A and Concourse C were rebuilt into bi-level structures equipped with jet bridges as part of a $25 million project in the mid-1970s designed by Sverdrup. The other concourses were demolished. Construction began in the spring of 1976 and was completed in September 1977.[12] A$20 million, 120,000 sq ft extension of Concourse C for TWA and a $46 million, 210,000 sq ft Concourse D for Ozark Airlines also designed by Sverdrup were completed in December 1982.[13][14]

Ozark Airlines established its only hub at Lambert in the late 1950s. The airline grew rapidly, going from 36 million revenue passenger miles in 1955, to 229 million revenue passenger miles in 1965. The jet age came to Ozark in 1966 with the Douglas DC-9-10 and its network expanded to Denver, Indianapolis, Louisville, Washington, D.C., New York City, Miami, Tampa and Orlando. With the addition of jets, Ozark began its fastest period of growth, jumping to 653 million revenue passenger miles by 1970 and 936 million revenue passenger miles by 1975,[15] however Ozark soon faced heavy competition in TWA's new hub at Lambert.

By 1979, the year after airline deregulation, STL's dominant carriers were TWA (36 routes) and Ozark (25), followed by American (17) and Eastern (12). Other carriers at STL around this time included Air Illinois, Air Indiana, Braniff, Britt, Brower, Delta, Frontier, Northwest Orient, Republic, Texas International, Trans-Mo and USAir.[16]

TWA era 1982–2001

After airline deregulation in 1979, airlines began to realign their operations around a hub and spoke model. Trans World Airlines (TWA) was headquartered at Kansas City International Airport and had large operations at Chicago O'Hare International Airport as well as St. Louis. TWA deemed Kansas City too small, and its terminals unsuitable, to serve as a primary hub. TWA reluctantly ruled out Chicago, as its Chicago operation was already losing $25 million a year under competition from American Airlines and United Airlines. This meant that St. Louis was the carrier's only viable option. TWA proceeded to downsize Chicago and build up St. Louis, swapping three Chicago gates for five of American's St. Louis gates. By December 1982, St. Louis accounted for 20% of TWA's domestic capacity. Lambert's terminal was initially too small for this operation, and TWA was forced to use temporary terminals, mobile lounges and airstairs to handle the additional flights.[17] After Concourse D was completed in 1985, TWA began transatlantic service from Lambert to London, Frankfurt and Paris.[18]

In 1985, Southwest Airlines began service, an event that would lead to major changes at the airport in the coming years.

TWA's hub grew again in 1986 when the airline bought Ozark Airlines, which operated its hub from Lambert's Concourse B,C & D. In 1985, TWA had accounted for 56.6% of boardings at STL while Ozark accounted for 26.3%, so the merged carriers now controlled over 80% of the traffic.[19] As of 1986, TWA served STL with nonstop service to 84 cities, an increase from 80 cities served by TWA and/or Ozark in 1985, before the merger.

Despite the entry of Southwest Airlines in the market, the TWA buyout of Ozark and subsequent increase in the number of nonstop cities served, the total number of passengers using Lambert held steady from 1985 through 1993, ranging between 19 million and 20 million passengers per year throughout the period.

Lambert again grew in importance for TWA after the airline declared bankruptcy in 1993 and moved its headquarters to St. Louis from Mount Kisco, NY. TWA increased the number of cities served and started routing more connecting passengers through its hub at Lambert. Total number of passengers using Lambert rose from 19.9 million passengers enplaned in 1993, jumping almost 20% in one year to 23.4 million in 1994. Growth continued, with total enplaned jumping to 27.3 million by 1997 and 30.6 million in 2000, the highest ever in its history.[20] By the late 1990s, Lambert was TWA's dominant hub, with 515 daily flights to 104 cities as of September 1999. Of those 515 flights, 352 were on TWA mainline aircraft and 163 were Trans World Connection flights operated by its commuter airline partners.

However, TWA faced increasing problems as overall airline demand softened in response to a softening overall economy. As TWA entered the new millennium, its financial condition proved too precarious to continue alone and in January 2001 American Airlines (AA) announced it was buying TWA.

American Airlines, Air National Guard, Southwest Airlines 2001–present

American Airlines' merger closed in April 2001 and the last TWA flight was flown on December 1, 2001. AA felt that TWA's Lambert hub was a key asset. Its plan for Lambert was to become a reliever hub for AA's existing hubs at Chicago O'Hare and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. American had been looking for a way to relieve its overcrowded hub at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, where nearly 40 percent of American's flights had arrived at least 15 minutes late in June, July and August 2000. American was looking at something strategic with its new St. Louis hub to potentially offload some of the pressure on O'Hare to restore its operations to respectable levels. American Airlines shifted some flights from mainline aircraft to commuter aircraft because of softening overall airline demand, however, overall flight levels remained strong. In July 2001, TWA, now a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines and its regional carrier Trans World Express averaged 522 daily departures.[21]

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were a huge demand shock to air service nationwide, with total airline industry domestic revenue passenger miles dropping 20% in October 2001 and 17% in November 2001.[22] Overnight, AA no longer had the same need for a hub that bypasses its hubs at Chicago and Dallas, which suddenly became less congested.[23] AA cut flights out of St. Louis from 522 daily flights as of July 2001, to approximately 450 flights as of December 2001. Flights to Paris, France went to seasonal service in December 2001 and transatlantic service was soon discontinued altogether when it stopped flying nonstop from St. Louis to London Gatwick airport. AA transferred many mainline routes to American Connection, a group of affiliated regional carriers. By June 2002, AA had further reduced service to 439 daily flights to 109 cities, however, only 276 of those flights were on AA mainline aircraft and 163 were flown on commuter aircraft operated as American Connection. At the time, Lambert was AA's 3rd largest hub ranked by number of daily departures and its 2nd largest hub ranked by number of destinations served. AA's largest hub at the time was DFW, with 757 daily flights to 145 destinations. AA's Chicago O'Hare hub had 489 daily flights to 102 destinations, STL had 439 flights to 109 destinations, while its Miami hub had just 236 flights to 79 destinations. Much of the reduction in overall service could be blamed on the 9/11 terrorist attacks, however, Lambert was affected disproportionately due to flight cuts and shifts of flights from mainline to commuter aircraft, because of Lambert's lessened need as a reliever hub since O'Hare was suddenly less congested.

By September 2002, Lambert's passenger traffic had declined by 16.9% from before the terrorist attacks a year earlier, which was the 8th biggest percentage drop of the major US airports. Total passengers enplaned for the year fell to 25.6 million. AA's other hubs suffered from reduced traffic, but to a lesser degree with the exception of Miami, which suffered from a 16.0% decline. New York JFK's traffic dropped 12.6%, DFW traffic dropped 6.7%, O'Hare traffic dropped 6.5%.[24] Even though O'Hare's drop in traffic was the lowest, the 6.5% reduction at O'Hare was enough to virtually eliminate its previous problems with congestion-related delays that suffered from prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, removing a main purpose for AA's St. Louis hub. As a result of the reduced congestion at O'Hare, Congress eliminated all slot restrictions at O'Hare in July 2002.[25]

On July 16, 2003, AA announced it was significantly reducing its Lambert hub effective November 1, 2003, cutting it from 417 daily flights to 207, effective November 1, 2003.[26] Total Lambert passengers enplaned dropped to 20.4 million in 2003, then to 13.4 million in 2004. AA introduced American Eagle service at its St. Louis hub in May 2005. Unlike American Connection, American Eagle operated by Envoy Air is wholly owned by American Airlines Group, the parent company of American Airlines and Envoy Air.

In 2006, the United States Air Force announced plans to turn the 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard into the 131st Bomb Wing. The wing's 20 F-15C and F-15D aircraft were moved to the Montana Air National Guard's 120th Fighter Wing at Great Falls International Airport/Air National Guard Base, Montana and the Hawaii Air National Guard's 154th Wing at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. The pilots and maintainers moved to Whiteman AFB, Missouri to fly and maintain the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber as the first Air National Guard wing to fly the aircraft. Lambert Field Air National Guard Base formally shut down in June 2009, when the final two F-15C Eagles did a low approach over the field, then flew away. The event was attended by more than 2,200 people who said goodbye to a part of airport history for over 85 years.

Lambert's passenger traffic slowly rebounded from American Airlines' cuts of November 2003, increasing from a low of 13.4 million passengers enplaned in 2004, to 15.4 million by 2007 and increase of almost 15 percent.

During 2008, Lambert's position as an American Airlines hub faced further pressure due to increased fuel costs and softened demand because of a depressed economy. AA cut its overall system capacity by 5% during 2008. At Lambert, AA shifted even more flights from its mainline jets to commuter airplanes.[27] Total passengers enplaned fell 6% to 14.4 million in 2008, then fell another 11% to 12.8 million passengers in 2009.

In September 2009, American Airlines announced that, as a part of the airline's restructuring, it would eliminate its St. Louis hub by reducing its operations from approximately 200 daily flights to 36 daily flights to nine destinations in the summer of 2010.[28] These cuts ended the remaining hub operation.[29] AA's only remaining nonstop flights out of St Louis were limited to the five focus cities (four hubs plus LAX) as well as Boston, New York/LaGuardia, Seattle and Washington/National. American's announcement that its St. Louis hub would close was part of its new "Cornerstone" plan whereby the airline would be concentrating on its 4 primary hubs in major markets: Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Miami and New York, with a focus city in Los Angeles. While it cut approximately 165 daily flights from St. Louis, AA increased flights at O'Hare by 57 daily flights and by 15 new destinations, to a new total of 487 daily flights to 114 destinations. Ironically, due to soft overall airline demand, the O'Hare hub actually lost a net 11 daily mainline flights, offset by 68 new regional jet flights. At its DFW hub, AA increased flights by 19 daily flight and one additional destination, for a new total of 780 daily flights to 160 destinations. At its Miami hub, AA increased flights 23 daily flights and one additional destination, to a new total of 294 daily flights to 108 destinations.[30] AA also cut flights out of several other non-hub cities, especially in Boston and Raleigh-Durham. In particular, AA's move to increase flights at O'Hare was a strategic move to catch up to United Airlines, which had its largest hub there but was cutting its flights at the time,[31]

In early October 2009, Southwest Airlines announced the addition of 6 daily flights to several cities it already served from St. Louis, as an immediate response to the cutbacks announced by American Airlines. Then on October 21, 2009, Southwest announced that the airline will increase service with a "major expansion" in St. Louis by May 2010. The airline announced it would begin flying nonstop from St. Louis to 6 new cities, for a new total of 31 destinations, increasing the total number of daily departures from 74 to 83, also replacing American as the carrier with the most daily flights after American's service cuts scheduled for Summer 2010.[32] Total passengers enplaned fell to 12.3 million in 2010, the lowest passenger total in decades. Passenger traffic rebounded in 2011, increasing 1.6% to 12.5 million enplaned and increased another 1.1% in 2012, to 12.7 million. Through May 2013, total passengers enplaned increased by 1.3% versus the same period in 2012.[33]

Delta Air Lines is now the airport's second-busiest operating airline.[34] With the merger with US Airways, American Airlines has solidified its No. 3 position closely behind Delta.[35] Southwest Airlines is the dominant carrier at Lambert, accounting for 51 percent of total passengers, as of 2015.[36]

As of May 2012, the airport is on a significant upswing, with traffic up by about 14%. Southwest Airlines has also announced that over the next few years, they will add several new routes out of Lambert International. Lambert has said they are in talks with Delta Air Lines and American Airlines to try and land a route to London. St. Louis is the largest market in the United States that does not have a flight to Europe.[37] Lambert–St. Louis International Airport was the 31st busiest airport in the U.S. as ranked by Airports Council International-North America. Lambert served nearly 13 million passengers in 2012.

On October 22, 2012, a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340 landed at Lambert carrying Virgin Atlantic executives, including Richard Branson to discuss and explore the likelihood of a St. Louis route.

By 2013, flights at the airport had continued their steady growth, with 64 non-stop cities served, including 6 international destinations, St. Louis had grown to one of Southwest Airlines' top 10 cities, ranked No. 10, with 95 daily departures to 35 non-stop destinations, per its March 2013 schedule update. The airline currently operates out of 10 gates.[38]

In May 2013, Moody's raised its rating on Lambert Airport's bonds to A3-stable outlook from Baa1 with a stable outlook. Standard & Poor's raised its rating to A- with a stable outlook from A- with a negative outlook. This is the first time in more than a decade that both Moody's and Standard & Poor's ratings for the Airport have both been in the single "A" category. Earlier in the month, Fitch Ratings upgraded outstanding airport revenue bonds to 'BBB+' from 'BBB' with a stable outlook. The rating agencies attributed the upgrades to strong fiscal management and positive passenger traffic.[39]

2016 saw Southwest expand services at Lambert to include flights to destinations abandoned by Delta and American, such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Oakland. In total, Southwest now operates more than 100 daily departures out of Lambert, using the entirety of Terminal 2. Lambert is also on the short-list to receive flights to London-Heathrow on British Airways and Frankfurt via Lufthansa, potentially restoring trans-Atlantic service for the first time since the buyout of TWA.[40]

Runway 11/29

During the late 1990s, Lambert Field was ranked as the eighth-busiest U.S. airport by flights (not by total passengers) largely due to TWA's hub operations, Southwest Airlines' growing traffic and commuter traffic to smaller cities in the region. Congestion caused delays during peak hours and was exacerbated when bad weather reduced the number of usable runways from three to one. To cope, Lambert officials briefly redesignated the taxiway immediately north of runway 12L–30R as runway 13–31 and used it for commuter and general aviation traffic. However, traffic projections made in the 1980s and 1990s predicted yet more growth, enough to strain the airport and the national air traffic system.[41]

These factors led to the planning and construction of a 9,000-foot runway, dubbed Runway 11/29, parallel to the two larger existing runways. At $1.1 billion, it was the costliest public works program in St. Louis history.[42] It required moving seven major roads and destroying about 2,000 homes, six churches and four schools in Bridgeton, Missouri.[42][43][44] Construction began in 1998 and continued even as traffic at the airport declined after the 9/11 attacks, the TWA purchase and American's 2003 flight reductions.[45][46] On April 13, 2006, American Airlines Flight 2470 became the first commercial airliner to land on the new runway.[47]

Now complete, the runway is used by an estimated 5% of flights, far less than anticipated. Fuel and time-conscious airlines shun it because it is farther from terminals than the older runways.[42]

2011 St. Louis tornado

Terminal 1 windows boarded up after the tornado

About 8:10 p.m. on April 22, 2011, an EF4[48] tornado struck the airport's Terminal 1, destroying jetways and breaking more than half of the windows.[49][49][50][51] One plane from Southwest Airlines was damaged when the wind pushed a baggage conveyor belt into it. Four American Airlines planes were damaged, including one that was buffeted by 80 mph crosswinds while taxiing after landing.[52] One aircraft, with passengers still aboard, was moved away from its jetway by the storm.[53] The FAA closed the airport on April 22 at 08:54 pm CDT, then reopened it the following day at temporarily lower capacity.[54] The C concourse underwent renovations and repairs, and they were completed and reopened on April 2, 2012.[55]

The damage to Concourse C forced several airlines to use vacant gates in the B and D concourses, including AirTran, American, Cape Air and Frontier.[55] Frontier Airlines moved to B, while American and Cape Air went to D. Airtran was moved to Terminal 2 with Southwest Airlines.

Kwame Building Group assisted with the reconstruction, and the Airport Experience Program commenced immediately.[56]

Later in the year, the TSA declared Lambert Airport its "Airport of the Year" for "exceptional courtesy, high-quality security" and the excellent response by airport officials during and after the tornado.[57]

Facilities

Runways

STL FAA Airport Diagram

Lambert–St. Louis International Airport covers 2,800 acres (1,133 ha) and has four runways:

Terminals

Terminal 1, before the 2011 tornado damage
STL Terminal map

The airport has two terminals with a total of 5 concourses. International flights and passengers use Terminal 2, whose lower level holds the Immigration and Customs gates. Passengers can move between the terminals on complimentary buses that run continuously or via MetroLink for a fee. It was possible to walk between the terminals via Concourse D until connection was blocked in 2008 with the closure of Concourse D.[58]

Terminal 1

Concourse C Gates

Terminal 2

Public transportation

Mass transit/light rail/subway

MetroLink station at Terminal 1

The airport is connected to MetroLink's Red Line via a station at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. One-ride and all-day tickets can be purchased from vending machines on the platforms. MetroLink lines provide direct or indirect service to downtown St. Louis, the Clayton area and Illinois suburbs in St. Clair County.

MetroBus

Two MetroBus lines serve the Lambert Bus Port, which is located next to the intermediate parking lot, and accessible via the tunnel from Terminal 1:

Road

The airport is connected to I-70, which takes one to St. Louis.

Airline lounges

The American Airlines Admirals Club at the B/C/D connector is large for its type, with seats for 244. It has a bar/snack area, basic ticketing functions, espresso bar, three private conference rooms and complimentary use of six PCs, dataports, copier, printer and paper shredder. This club was damaged by the 2011 tornado and was temporarily relocated to a holding space in Concourse D until it reopened in 2013.

Lambert's USO facility, on the lower level of the Main Terminal next to baggage claim carousel #M6, is one of the largest in the country. Open 24 hours a day, it serves more than 120,000 military men and women each year.[59]

The airport has cited interest in a Delta Sky Club in the A Concourse.

Construction was started for a United Red Carpet Club, but ended due to a strike by the contractor's workers.

Black Americans in Flight mural

Black Americans in Flight is a mural that depicts African American aviators and their contributions to aviation since 1917. It is located in Terminal 1 / Main Terminal on the lower level near the entrance to gates C and D and baggage claim. The mural consists of five panels and measures 8 feet tall and 51 feet long. The first panel includes Albert Edward Forsythe and C. Alfred Anderson, the first black pilots to complete a cross-country flight, the Tuskegee Institute and the Tuskegee Airmen, Eugene Bullard, Bessie Coleman and Willa Brown (first African American woman commercial pilot in United States). The second panel shows Benjamin O. Davis Jr., Clarence "Lucky" Lester and Joseph Ellesberry. The third panel shows Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James, Capt. Ronald Radliff and Capt. Marcella Hayes. The fourth and fifth panels show Ronald McNair, who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, Guion Bluford, who in 1983 became the first African American in space, and Mae Jemison, the first African America woman in space. Spencer Taylor and Solomon Thurman created the mural in 1990.[60][61] The mural had a re-dedication ceremony in 2012.

Aircraft on display

Two aircraft from the Missouri History Museum hang from Lambert's ceilings. The first is a 1934 Monocoupe D-145 near the Terminal 1 security checkpoint. Charles Lindbergh bought it in 1934 from the Lambert Aircraft Corporation and flew it as his personal plane. The second aircraft, a red Monocoupe 110 Special, manufactured in St. Louis in 1931, hangs in Terminal 2.[62] Until 1998, a Ryan B-1 Brougham, a replica of the Spirit of St. Louis, hung next to the D-145.[63]

Aircraft production

Lambert's runways have long been used for test flights and deliveries of military aircraft by McDonnell Douglas, which built its world headquarters and principal assembly plant next to the airport; and now by Boeing, which bought McDonnell and now uses its St. Louis facilities as headquarters for its Boeing Defense, Space & Security division. The plant currently builds the F-15 Strike Eagle, F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18 Growler; and is home to Boeing Phantom Works.

Other facilities

Ozark Air Lines had its corporate headquarters on airport property before it was purchased by TWA. The building is now headquarters for Trans States Holdings.[64] Ozark Air Lines operated its hub from Concourse B, C & D

Operations

China cargo hub and Aerotropolis endeavour

China Cargo Airlines Boeing 777F

In 2008, China Cargo Airlines (a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines) was reported to be considering a cargo hub at Lambert as part of its international cargo and passenger service expansion.[65][66] Lambert was considered an attractive option as runway 11/29 would accommodate the large cargo aircraft and the decline in passenger service during the first decade of the 2000s meant less congestion than busier airports such as Chicago O'Hare International Airport.[67]

Negotiations led to the 2009 creation of the public-private Midwest-China Hub Commission to developing an implementation plan. Planners for the cargo hub envisioned St. Louis as an Aerotropolis, an urban form whose layout, infrastructure and economy is centered on an airport, offering its businesses speedy connectivity to suppliers, customers and enterprise partners worldwide. Negotiations between the Chinese ambassador Zhou Wenzhong, China's Minister of Foreign Affairs Li Zhaoxing, Missouri Senators Kit Bond and Claire McCaskill and business leaders from the St. Louis region continued over the next two years. The United States Department of Commerce allowed expansion of the foreign trade zone near Lambert airport on February 13, 2009.[68]

In 2011, the "Aerotropolis Tax Credit"[69] was introduced into the Missouri Senate. The bill provides $360 million of tax incentives to freight forwarders and for the development of warehouses, cold storage facilities and transportation connections in so-called "Gateway Zones," foreign trade zones located within 50 miles of St. Louis.[70] The bill was debated in a special session during September 2011 but ultimately failed to gain enough support. The future of the tax credit remains uncertain.[71][72]

On September 23, 2011, the first China Cargo Airlines flight arrived from Shanghai-Pudong. The Boeing 777 aircraft is the first flight for St. Louis's new China Eastern/China cargo hub.[73]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinationsTerminal/Concourse
Air Canada Express Toronto-Pearson 1A1
Air Choice One Burlington (IA), Decatur, Fort Dodge, Jackson (TN), Jonesboro, Mason City 1C
Alaska Airlines Seattle/Tacoma 1C
Alaska Airlines
operated by SkyWest Airlines 		Portland (OR) 1C
American Airlines Charlotte, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor
Seasonal: Washington-National 		1C
American Eagle Charlotte, Chicago-O'Hare, New York-LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Washington-National 1C
Cape Air Cape Girardeau, Fort Leonard Wood, Kirksville, Marion, Owensboro, Quincy 1C
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City 1A
Delta Connection Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia, Salt Lake City 1A
Frontier Airlines Atlanta, Cancun, Denver, Las Vegas, Orlando–International
Seasonal: Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Tampa 		1C2
Southwest Airlines Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago-Midway, Cleveland (resumes June 5, 2016),[74] Columbus (OH), Dallas-Love, Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Houston-Hobby, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New Orleans, New York-LaGuardia, Newark, Oakland (begins June 5, 2016),[74] Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orange County, Orlando–International, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Portland (OR) (begins June 5, 2016),[74] Raleigh/Durham, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Tampa, Tulsa, Washington-National, Wichita
Seasonal: Albuquerque, Panama City (FL) 		2E
United Airlines Seasonal: San Francisco 1A
United Express Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark, San Francisco, Washington-Dulles 1A

Charter

AirlinesDestinationsTerminal/Concourse
Apple Vacations
operated by Xtra Airways 		Seasonal: Cancún, Huatulco, Montego Bay, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana 1A2
Sun Country Airlines Seasonal: Cancún, Montego Bay, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana 1C2

^1 Air Canada Express operates from Terminal 1, Concourse A due to customs pre-clearance.

^2 All International Arrivals are located in Terminal 2 - "E" Terminal - International Gates / Customs.

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
DHL Aviation
operated by Southern Air		Cincinnati
FedEx Express Indianapolis, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul
UPS Airlines Louisville

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from STL (Dec 2014 – Nov 2015)[75]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Atlanta, Georgia 491,000 Delta, Southwest
2 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 382,000 American, United
3 Denver, Colorado 317,000 Frontier, Southwest, United
4 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 301,000 American
5 Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota 280,000 Delta, Southwest
6 Phoenix, Arizona 271,000 American, Southwest, US Airways
7 Chicago–Midway, Illinois 237,000 Southwest
8 Dallas–Love, Texas 237,000 Southwest
9 New York–LaGuardia, New York 231,000 American, Delta, Southwest
10 Las Vegas, Nevada 205,000 Southwest

Annual traffic

Annual passenger traffic (enplaned + deplaned) at STL, 1985 through 2015[76][77]
Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers
201012,331,426200030,558,991199020,065,737
200912,796,302199930,188,973198920,015,015
200814,431,471199828,700,622198820,170,060
200715,384,557199727,661,144198720,362,606
200615,205,944199627,274,846198620,352,383
201512,752,331200514,697,263199525,719,351198519,942,401
201412,384,015200413,396,028199423,362,671
201312,570,128200320,431,132199319,923,774
201212,688,726200225,626,114199220,984,782
201112,526,150200126,695,019199119,151,278

Modernization

21st-century renovation

In February 2007, airport officials announced the largest renovation in the airport's history: a $70 million effort to overhaul the Main Terminal called "The Airport Experience Project." It was set back slightly by the 2011 tornado damage, but as of January 2016 is now complete.[78]

Accidents and incidents

In popular culture

Television

Film

Police

The St. Louis Airport Police Department Division is a part of the Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis with all law enforcement responsibilities at Lambert–St. Louis International Airport.

The Division works in conjunction with the SLMPD Aviation Unit, the (FAA) and the Transportation Security Administration to provide police services for the airport, including the concourses and parking lots. The airport also is served by a canine unit, which is staffed by police officers who handle nine canines. The canines are available on a 24-hour basis to assist with searching for evidence, tracking suspects, locating missing persons and seeking hidden explosives and narcotics.

See also

References

  1. ↑ FAA Airport Master Record for STL (Form 5010 PDF), retrieved July 24, 2007
  2. ↑ "Passenger Statistics" (PDF). Lambert–St. Louis International Airport. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Passenger Statistics". Flystl.com. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  4. ↑ Henry, Prince Joe (December 7, 2007). "Joe Gains Another Admirer: Kinloch's Sergeant of Police". River Front Times (Riverfront Times, LLC). Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  5. ↑ John Aaron Wright. Kinloch: Missouri's first black city. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Lambert History". Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  7. ↑ Christensen, Lawrence O. (1999). Dictionary of Missouri Biography. University of Missouri Press. p. 469. ISBN 0-8262-1222-0.
  8. 1 2 "The History of Lambert – St. Louis International Airport". Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. 2005. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
  9. ↑ Mola, Roger. "Aircraft Landing Technology". U. S. Centennial of Flight Commission. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
  10. 1 2 "The Navy at Lambert Field, 1925–1958 by George Everding, LCDR USN (ret)". Usgennet.org. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Allegiant Air resumes flights out of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport".
  12. ↑ Continuing Progress at Lambert. City of St. Louis Airport Authority. 1977.
  13. ↑ "Timeline". City of St. Louis Airport Authority. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Lambert International: Architectural Creativity in Steel" (PDF). Modern Steel Construction (Chicago: American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc.) 26 (1): 5–9. 1986. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  15. ↑ Handbook of Airline Statistics (biannual CAB publication)
  16. ↑ "Airlines and Aircraft Serving Saint Louis Effective November 15, 1979". DepartedFlights.com. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  17. ↑ "STL: How To Build A Hub". TWA Mainliner. 11 October 1982. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  18. ↑ "History". Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  19. ↑ Fare and Service Changes at St. Louis Since the TWA-Ozark Merger, United States General Accounting Office. September 21, 1988. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  20. ↑ Lambert-St. Louis International Airport website, Historical Passenger Statistics since 1985, retrieved July 27, 2013.
  21. ↑ http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg22610.html CaliforniaAviation.org, retrieved July 20, 2013
  22. ↑ U.S. Air Carrier Traffic Statistics - Domestic Passengers - Revenue Passenger Miles, retrieved July 27, 2013
  23. ↑ http://www.dallasnews.com/business/airline-industry/20130126-american-airlines-battles-a-history-of-unsuccessful-mergers.ece "American Airlines, a History of Unsuccessful Mergers, Dallas News website, retrieved July 20, 2013
  24. ↑ USA Today, retrieved July 20, 2013
  25. ↑ Department of Justice, Congestion and Delay Reductions at O'Hare Airport, retrieved July 20, 2013.
  26. ↑ Travel Weekly website, retrieved July 20, 2013.
  27. ↑ USA Today, Fuel-Cost Fallout: American Airlines is the latest carrier to cut routes, flights, retrieved July 26, 2013
  28. ↑ Mutzabaugh, Ben (September 18, 2009). "With AA's Cuts, St. Louis Will Fall From the Ranks of Hub Cities". USA Today. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  29. ↑ Leiser, Ken (September 18, 2009). "Airline blames cuts on restructuring". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  30. ↑ AMR Announces New Liquidity, Network and Fleet Enhancements, accessed July 26, 2013
  31. ↑ The Cranky Flier – American Kills St. Louis, Strengthens Other Hubs. Accessed July 26, 2013
  32. ↑ Leiser, Ken (October 22, 2009). "Southwest Will Add Nine Daily Flights Here". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  33. ↑ Lambert-St. Louis International Airport website, 2013 Air Traffic Activity Summary, retrieved July 27, 2013
  34. ↑ RITA | BTS | Transtats. Transtats.bts.gov. Retrieved on October 29, 2015.
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  36. ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch website, Retrieved July 20, 2013
  37. ↑ Hunn, David (May 23, 2012). "Airport on Upswing, Adding Flights, Says Lambert CEO". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  38. ↑ Southwest Airlines Fact Sheet, Retrieved July 19, 2013
  39. ↑ Lambert-St. Louis Int'l. website, Retrieved July 19, 2013
  40. ↑ http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/southwest-expands-gates-at-lambert-airport-continues-push-for-europe/article_28d948bb-d2ef-5d72-b68a-b6331f62debd.html
  41. ↑ "The Expansion Story". Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
  42. 1 2 3 Stoller, Gary (January 9, 2007). "St. Louis' Airports Aren't Too Loud: They're Too Quiet". USA Today. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
  43. ↑ "Airport/Mass Transit November 2005 – Feature Story". Engineering News-Record. November 1, 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
  44. ↑ "Airports and Cities: Can they coexist?". SD Earth Times. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
  45. ↑ "Historical Operation Statistics by Class for the Years: 1985–2006". Lambert–St. Louis International Airport. Archived from the original on July 11, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
  46. ↑ "New $1 Billion Runway Opens This Week, But It's Not Needed Anymore". USA Today. April 11, 2006. Archived from the original on August 30, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
  47. ↑ "Flight AAL2470 KSNA–KSTL". Flightaware. April 13, 2006. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  48. ↑ April 22nd Tornadic Supercell Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area, National Weather Service, St. Louis, Missouri. (April 23, 2011).
  49. 1 2 Held, Kevin (April 23, 2011). "St. Louis Airport Storm Caught on Camera". KSDK. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  50. ↑ Moore, Bryce (April 23, 2011). "SkyZoom 4 Images of the Lambert Airport Damage". Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  51. ↑ Bowers, Cynthia (April 23, 2011). "Residents: St. Louis Was "Bedlam" During Tornado". CBS News. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
  52. ↑ Salter, Jim; Suhr, Jim (April 23, 2011). "Tornado Cleanup Starts Quickly in St. Louis Area". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  53. ↑ Moore, Bryce (April 23, 2011). "Lambert Passengers Watch Plane Move, Then Evacuate Terminal". Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  54. ↑ "UPDATE: Lambert Reopening Today, Expects to Be at 70 Percent Capacity Sunday". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 23, 2011. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
  55. 1 2 Leiser, Ken. "Lambert Opens Refurbished C Concourse After Twister". St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  56. ↑ Airport Experience Program
  57. ↑ Peterson, Deb (November 8, 2011). "No Joke – TSA Names Lambert 'Airport of the Year'". St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  58. ↑ "St. Louis Airport Reopens, One Concourse Remains Closed". Travelpulse.com. April 25, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  59. ↑ James S. McDonnell USO Archived January 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  60. ↑ Brownlee Jr., Henry T. (February 2010). "Linking the Past to the Future" (PDF). Boeing Frontiers. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  61. ↑ "Many St. Louis Sites Significant in Black History: "Black Americans in Flight" Mural". St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  62. ↑ "Charles Lindbergh's Monocoupe – St. Louis, MO – Static Aircraft Displays". Groundspeak, Inc. December 15, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  63. ↑ Mullen, Robert; Smith, Sharon (Spring 2008). "Midnight Maintenance: Caring for Lindbergh's Monocoupe". Missouri History Museum. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  64. ↑ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. March 30, 1985. 105.
  65. ↑ Gateway to the East: St. Louis Seeks to be China's Freight And Commercial Hub. St. Louis Commerce Magazine. June 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
  66. ↑ Commission Looks to Bring Chinese Air Freight to St. Louis. St. Louis Business Journal. January 19, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
  67. ↑ "Local Media Fail St. Louis with Aerotropolis Reporting". nextSTL. July 19, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  68. ↑ Binns, Evan (February 16, 2009). "Lambert Foreign Trade Zone Expanded". St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
  69. ↑ Aerotropolis Tax Credit
  70. ↑ Logan, Tim (April 14, 2011). "Unpacking the "Aerotropolis" Tax Credits". St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  71. ↑ Young, Virginia (August 25, 2011). "Leaders Looking for Speedy Mo. Special Session". St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  72. ↑ Flagg, Sarah (November 10, 2011). "Fuhr Addresses Shortfalls of Special Session at Town Hall Meeting". Mehlville-Oakville Patch. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  73. ↑ "First China Cargo Flight Arrives at Lambert". KSDK. September 23, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  74. 1 2 3 http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/southwest-adds-flights-out-of-lambert-including-to-oakland-calif/article_8133bece-47fe-583d-9a8f-e3f216c2508b.html
  75. ↑ "RITA | BTS | Transtats". Transtats.bts.gov. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  76. ↑ Air Traffic Reports. Retrieved on Mar 29, 2015.
  77. ↑ Historical Passenger Statistics Since 1985. Retrieved on Mar 29, 2015.
  78. ↑
  79. 1 2 3 "Airport Experience Projects". Lambert–St. Louis International Airport. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  80. ↑ "Lambert Installing New Signs, Renaming Terminals" (PDF). Lambert–St. Louis International Airport. December 2, 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2009.
  81. ↑ "News Release" (PDF). Lambert–St. Louis International Airport. June 9, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  82. ↑ "News Release". Lambert–St. Louis International Airport. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  83. ↑ "News Release" (PDF). Lambert–St. Louis International Airport. February 18, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  84. ↑ "News Release" (PDF). Lambert–St. Louis International Airport. July 1, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  85. ↑ Lambert Upgrading Terminal 1 Entrances Following Tornado. Flystl.com. Retrieved on August 16, 2013.
  86. ↑ Bowers, Peter M., "Breezing Along with the Breeze", Wings, Granada Hills, California, December 1989, Volume 19, Number 6, p. 19.
  87. ↑ Diehl, Alan E., PhD, "Silent Knights: Blowing the Whistle on Military Accidents and Their Cover-ups", Brassey's, Inc., Dulles, Virginia, 2002, Library of Congress card number 2001052726, ISBN 978-1-57488-412-8, pages 81–82.
  88. ↑ "Losing The Moon". St. Louis Magazine. May 2006.
  89. ↑ St. Louis, MO Airliner Crashes On Landing, July 1973 | GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods. .gendisasters.com. Retrieved on August 16, 2013.
  90. ↑ "C-GSCA Accident Description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  91. 1 2 3 Williams, Joe (December 11, 2009). "Clooney Was Here: St. Louis Locations in 'Up in the Air'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on December 30, 2009. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
  92. 1 2 3 4 Dohack-McCrary, Caroline (March 13, 2011). "Missouri Boasts a Proud History of Being on the Silver Screen". Columbia Daily Tribune. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
  93. ↑ Williams, Joe (January 28, 2009). "Steven Soderbergh, Film Revolutionary". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved January 29, 2009.
  94. ↑ Rubin, Ann (December 12, 2008). "George Clooney to Film Next Movie in St. Louis". KSDK. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  95. ↑ "Official Information for the St. Louis film "Up in the Air"". Missouri Film Commission Project Hotline. January 15, 2009. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  96. ↑ Reker, Bill (December 12, 2009). ""Up in the Air" Movie Opens: Lambert Airport Has Prominent Role". KMOX. Retrieved December 12, 2009.

73. McCalpin, Brian (September 28, 2012). Website:http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19941122-0

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