A BRIEF HISTORY OF CIVILIAN AIR
TRANSPORTATION IN SAN ANTONIO
Presented by . . .
Texas Transportation Museum
11731 Wetmore Road, San Antonio TX 78247
(210) 490-3554
(See bottom of page for a link to T.T.M.'s home page)
T.T.M. is deeply indebted to David Herbert, Public Relations
Manager, City of San Antonio Aviation Department, and his predecessor,
Lisa Burkhardt-Worley, for their generous assistance and advice.
S.A. International may not be the prettiest airport in the world, but is very efficient and
friendly
Click on thumb nails for larger image
San Antonio has a very long history of air transportation. Stinson is the second oldest continuously
operated airport in the country and the oldest west of the Mississippi. The first flights in military owned
aircraft began here. Luminaries like Marjorie Stinson, and the rest of her family, led the way in the
development of commercial aviation, which relied heavily on the movement of the U.S. mail until the development
of larger aircraft with longer range allowed operations to become financially self supporting. An almost
infinite number of pilots and aircrew have begun their careers in San Antonio, through Lackland Air Force
Base.
San Antonio International Airport has been a work in progress since its beginning days in 1941. It has grown from 1,200 acres
to 2,600 acres today. It supported some military installations during WW II but is now solely devoted to civilian enterprises.
The airport has seen consistent growth and is experiencing even more upgrades as this is written in February 2003, with increased
parking facilities that can hold up to 6,000 cars and improved access to the nearby US HWY 281.
The airport is not a "hub" airport but is a very strongly positioned regional airport providing services to a huge area.
It has two main runways, one at 8,502 feet in length and the other at 7,505 feet. Both are 150 feet wide and are suitable
for all but the very biggest aircraft, like the Boeing 747, which requires a longer strip to land and take off fully loaded,
although you may see one or two cargo versions at the various repair and renovation facilities located at the airport.
In addition there is a smaller runway, 5,519 feet long and 100 feet wide for "general aviation." General aviation is basically
private flying, involving lighter aircraft. These can range from old biplanes to sleek, modern business jets.
SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ACTIVITY
As of 2007, there are twenty-one different airlines flying from San Antonio:
AEROLITERAL
AEROMEXICO
AMERICAN
AMERICAN EAGLE
ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST
COMAIR
CONTINENTAL
CONTINENTAL EXPRESSJET
DELTA
FRONTIER
GoJet
MESA
MEXICANA
MIDWEST
MIDWEST EXPRESS
NORTHWEST
SkyWest
SOUTHWEST
UNITED
UNITED EXPRESS
US AIRWAYS
As of 2007 there are forty three direct flights from San Antonio, many with multiple daily flights.
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Baltimore
Chicago Midway
Chicago O’Hare
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Dallas-Fort Worth
Dallas-Love Field
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Harlingen
Houston Hobby
Houston Intercontinental
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Memphis
Minneapolis/St. Paul
Nashville
New Orleans
New York - Newark
Oklahoma
Orlando
Phoenix
Raleigh / Durham
Sacramento
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco
St. Louis
Tampa
Tucson
Tulsa
Washington DC - Dulles
Plus one to Canada:
Ontario
And six to Mexico:
Cancun
Cozumel
Mexico City
Monterrey
Puerta Vallarta
San Luis Potosi
Additionally there is Single Plane service, which make one or more stops
en route, to the following cities
Amarillo
Buffalo NY
Evanasville
Fort Lauderdale
Hartford
Islip NY
Jackson MS
Jacksonville
Little Rock
Lubbock
Minneapolis
New York - LaGuardia
Oakland
Philadelphia
Portland OR
San Jose CA
Savannah
Seattle
Washington DC - National
One to Canada:
Edmonton
And one to Mexico:
Guadalajara
For more information, contact David Herbert at (210) 207-3534.
or click San Antonio International Airport
SAN ANTONIO AVIATION HISTORY TIMELINE
1910 - U.S. military aviation begins, at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio
1912 - Katherine Stinson qualifies for a pilot's certificate.
1916 - Stinson Flying School is founded, when the famous aviation family leases 500 acres from
the city for all of $5.00. It soon becomes known as Stinson Airport, becoming San Antonio's first municipal airport. Stinson Municipal Airport is the second oldest continuously operated general aviation airport in the United States and is the oldest west of the Mississippi.
1917 - The Stinson's flying school and facilities are taken over by the government to train pilots
for World War One. Marjorie Stinson, known as "The Flying Schoolmarm" had already trained
over 80 pilots for service.
1919 - The field returns to civilian duty and is known as the Municipal airport.
1924 - Having taught himself to fly in a war surplus Curtis Jenny the previous year, Charles
Lindbergh comes to San Antonio for a year to pursue full technical training with the air force.
1928 - First air mail service from San Antonio begins. Marjorie Stinson is the pilot. Her destination?
Seguin, thirty miles away. Texas Air Transport begins sceduled commericial flights to and from San Antonio.
With two years Texas Air Transport becomes part of newly created American Airlines.
1935 - The Airport's main terminal is constructed as a WPA, or Works Project Administration
effort. The WPA, which completed many local landmarks, such as bridges on the Riverwalk downtown,
was a federally funded work creation organization, to get workers laid idle during the Great
Depression, back into employment. Four stories tall, it is built in what is recognizable, even
today, as the WPA style. Braniff Airlines begins San Antonio service.
1936 - The Municpal Airport is officially renamed as "Stinson Municpal Airport," in honor of the
Stinson family who did so much for civil aviation in San Antonio.
1938 - Eastern Airlines begins San Antonio service.
1941 - City of San Antonio purchases 1,200 acres of undeveloped land north of the city limits to establish San Antonio Municipal Airport.
1942 - U.S. Army establishes Alamo Airfield on the northern edge of the new airport property.
1944 - San Antonio Municipal Airport receives international status and is renamed San Antonio International Airport.
1951 - Work is progressing on a new modern terminal to bring the airport up to modern standards.
Passenger traffic is growing quickly as aircraft become larger, faster, more comfortable and safer.
1953 - Completion of new terminal (now called Terminal 2), FAA Air Traffic Control Tower and baggage claim area. The airport
takes a great leap forward in passenger facilities and becomes a truly modern operation.
1959 - Completion of first major terminal expansion with the addition of east and west wings.
1968 - Completion of satellite gate area and hold rooms to serve influx of HemisFair '68 visitors.
1975 - City Council adopts Airport Master Plan for the orderly development of airport facilities through the year 2000.
1982 - Completion of new 1,300-space, tri-level parking garage.
1984 - Completion of new 360,000-square-foot terminal (Terminal 1), bringing the airport's gate capacity to 27.
1986 - Challenger Plaza is dedicated in memory of seven American astronauts killed in the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986.
1986 - A new, 221-foot FAA Air Traffic Control Tower replaced the 1953 tower.
1988 - Completion of a new 24,000-square-foot Fire/Rescue Station. Six double-equipment bays make it the largest fire station in San Antonio.
1990 - Completion of reconstruction of Runway 3/21
1990 - San Antonio City Council adoption of the Part 150 Noise Compatibility Program for San Antonio International Airport.
1991 - Completion of new Air Cargo East parking apron, totaling 720,000 square feet.
1992 - Acoustical insulation project completed at Northwood Elementary School, the first of nine public buildings to be insulated under the Noise Compatibility Program.
1994 - Airport Master Plan Study begins with a team headed by aviation consultant Ramon Ricondo, to plan the next 20-year-development plan for San Antonio International Airport.
1996 - San Antonio City Council accepts Phase I of Master Plan which shows that with a series of on-site improvements, San Antonio International Airport can meet the passenger needs of the community for at least the next 20 years. Phase II is currently underway which includes: an environmental overview, an economic impact analysis, preparation and updating of federally-required plans and documents, an organizational study and a set of implementation plans.
1997 - City of San Antonio Aviation Department begins $33 million parking expansion and roadway improvement project which will add 2,300 new spaces bringing the total inventory to just over 6,000. The project includes construction of a new long-term parking garage, exit toll plaza, ring road and surface lots.
1999 - City of San Antonio Aviation Department opens up its new 5-story long-term parking garage. The garage boasts 2700 spaces, a colorful skylight and 2 artistic walkways leading to the terminals.
1999 - San Antonio City Council approves the Aviation Department's plan for Terminal Renovation and Concession Redevelopment. The project should be completed by the year 2003.
1999 - The "Texas Air Museum" at Stinson Municipal Airports opens. (See below for details.)
2000 - The "Shooting Star Museum" is opened, complete with grass landing strip, near Castroville.
(See below for details.)
2001 - City of San Antonio Aviation Department officially opens up the 281 North Connector which provides direct elevated access from US 281 North into the terminal and parking facilities.
2002 - The San Antonio Tourism Council reports 6.7 million passengers flew in and out of San Antonio International, of which 55%
were tourists.
2005 - Stinson experiences 116,208 general aviation flights, double the number from just ten
years earlier.
2005 - Passenger totals at San Antonio International set a new record, with 7,425,069 people passing
through the expanding facility.
2006 - Passengers totals at SA International grow to 8,031,405.
2006 - A $4.8 million project to expand the terminal at Stinson Airport is announced. This will
include space for normal airport operations and ancillary activities, such as car rental offices.
More contracts, for up to $4 million in private money, are in the works, for expansion of hanger space
and other facilities. The goal is to see yet more investment, up to another $5 million, for the
main runway to be extended to 5,000 feet to allow larger corporate jets to use Stinson.
2006 - Sino Swearingen announces two major
achievements. In April, the company selected
San Antonio as the site of the major production facility for its brand new twin engine business
jet, the SJ30. It also delivers its first plane, developed over a staggering eleven years, and
billed as the fastest aircraft with the longest range in its class.
For more information click: •Sino Swearingen•
2007 - Boeing in San Antonio, located at the former Kelly Air Force Base, now called Port San Antonio,
announces it has won its first civilian contract, to do final delivery work on eleven of the company's
brand new 787 Dreamliner aircraft. It is hoped that if this work, which will require the hiring of
at least 400 new employees, goes well it will lead to more work on the cutting edge plane. Boeing will
continue to work on heavy duty military transport aircraft.
2007 - Work to build better connections between Loop 410, Highway 281 and the airport are in full
swing, with several new ramps already open. Work towards greater parking facilities at the
airport, including the creation of a free "cell phone" lot and a longer term multi-story
addition that will add spaces for an additional 2,800 cars is also under way. A budget of $635
million is announced for all the upgrades planned for the airport. The first modern terminal,
completed in 1953, is to be completely replaced with a brand new, state of the art, terminal.
SAN ANTONIO AREA AVIATION MUSEUMS
There are two fine aviation themed museums in the San Antonio area. One is called the Texas
Air Museum and is located near historic Stinson Municipal Airport.
For information, click Texas Air Museum
The other, called the Shooting Star Museum, is located halfway between Castroville and Devine in
nearby Medina County.
For information click: Shooting Star Museum
This page was created and is maintained by the Texas Transportation Museum in San Antonio.
To go to the home page of the Texas Transportation Museum web site, click •T.T.M.•
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Site Established: June, 16, 2002
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