Baltimore/Washington International Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
The airport's main terminal in May 2009
IATA: BWI ICAO: KBWI FAA LID: BWI WMO: 72406
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner/Operator	Maryland Aviation Administration (MDOT MAA)
Serves	Baltimore metropolitan area Washington, D.C. metropolitan area South Central Pennsylvania
Location	Anne Arundel County, Maryland, U.S.
Opened	June 24, 1950; 74 years ago (1950-06-24)
Elevation AMSL	143 ft / 44 m
Coordinates	39°10′31″N 76°40′06″W / 39.17528°N 76.66833°W / 39.17528; -76.66833
Map
FAA airport diagram
Runway
Runway Length Surface ft m 10/28 10,503 3,201 Asphalt 15L/33R 5,000 1,524 Asphalt 15R/33L 9,501 2,896 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers 26,200,143 Aircraft operations 239,417 Cargo (metric tons) 538,733,019 lb (244,365 t)
Sources: BWI Airport

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (IATA: BWI, ICAO: KBWI, FAA LID: BWI) is an international airport in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, located 9 mi (14 km) south of downtown Baltimore and 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Washington, D.C.

BWI is one of three major airports that serve the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area. Dulles International Airport (IAD), in Dulles, Virginia, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), in Crystal City, Virginia, are the other two.

The airport serves as one of 12 U.S.-based operating bases for Southwest Airlines. In 2023, BWI recorded 12,849,636 passenger enplanements, making it the busiest airport in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, ranked at #23 in passenger enplanements in the U.S., followed by Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (#24) and Washington/Dulles Int'l Airport (#26).

In 2005, the airport was named in honor of Thurgood Marshall, a Baltimore native and the first African American to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

History

20th century

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 metropolitan area began in 1944, just prior to the end of World War II, when 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, Maryland. The cost of building the airport was estimated at $9 million.

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 at the site was generally good. An alternate site along Gov. Ritchie Highway at Furnace Branch was rejected by the United States Department of War, and another possible site at Lipin's Corner was deemed too far from Baltimore. The State Aviation Commission approved of the Linthicum Heights site in 1946.

Much of the land was purchased from Friendship Methodist Church in 1946, and ground was broken on May 2, 1947. Friendship Methodist Church held its last service on Easter Sunday in 1948. Friendship Methodist Church was razed to make room for the new airport. In addition, several pieces of land were bought, and 170 bodies buried in a cemetery were moved. Baltimore–Fort Meade Road was moved to the west to make way for the airport's construction.

Friendship International Airport was dedicated on June 24, 1950, by President Harry S. Truman. Truman arrived in a Douglas DC-6, then the official presidential airplane, from nearby Washington National Airport. Accompanying Truman were the Governor of Maryland, William Preston Lane Jr., and Baltimore Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., who was taking his first aircraft flight. The cost to construct the airport totaled $15 million. The following month, the airlines moved to the new airport from the old Baltimore Municipal Airport at Harbor Field in southeast Baltimore at 39°15′N 76°32′W / 39.25°N 76.53°W / 39.25; -76.53. Eastern Airlines flew the first scheduled flight, a DC-3, into the airport at 12:01 am on July 23, 1950. Seven minutes later, the same plane was also the first flight to depart from the airport. Three hundred spectators came to watch the first flights arrive and depart.

The Official Airline Guide reports 52 weekday departures from the airport as of April 1957: 19 Eastern, 12 Capital, 8 American, four National, three TWA, three United, two Delta, and one Allegheny. The departures included a couple nonstop flights to Miami, but westward nonstop flights did not reach beyond Ohio. The airport'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, which opened in 1962, had not yet opened, so Baltimore became Washington, D.C.'s jet airport from May 1959 to June 1959, when American and TWA began transcontinental 707 flights. 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.

In 1972, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) purchased Friendship International Airport from the City of Baltimore for $36 million. Under MDOT, the Maryland State Aviation Administration took over airfield operations, and the airport grew from three employees to more than 200. Plans to upgrade, improve, and modernize all Maryland airport facilities were announced almost immediately by Harry Hughes, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

On November 16, 1973, in an effort to attract passengers from the Washington metropolitan area, particularly Montgomery and Prince George's counties in suburban Maryland, the airport was renamed Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Its IATA code, originally BAL, was changed to BWI by the International Air Transport Association on April 20, 1980, and the change became official six months later, on October 26. The BWI code had previously been used by an airport in Bewani, Papua New Guinea.

In 1974, the first phase of the airport's modernization was completed 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).

In 1979, the terminal renovation program was completed, representing the most dramatic work of the airport's modernization, which was designed by DMJM along with Peterson & Brickbauer. The renovations more than doubled the size of BWI's terminal to 14.58 acres (5.90 ha), and the number of gates 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.

In 1980, the BWI Rail Station opened, 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. The station provided rail transit access to Washington, D.C., something that Dulles International Airport did not achieve until late 2022.

In 1997, a new international terminal (Concourse E), designed by STV Group and William Nicholas Bodouva & Associates, was added, 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.

The first transatlantic nonstops were on World Airways about 1981; British Airways arrived at BWI a few years later. Aer Lingus, Air Jamaica, Air Aruba, Air Greenland, El Al, Icelandair, KLM, Air Canada, Ladeco, and Mexicana previously flew to BWI. Military flights, operated by the U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Command, continue to have a significant presence at BWI.

Over 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.

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 and subsequent expansion in the early 2000s. Southwest is the airport's largest carrier, accounting for 56.12% of the airport's passengers in 2011. Southwest Airlines currently serves on average 245 daily departures to the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean.

21st century

Southwest Airlines planes at Concourses A-B

In July 2000, Ghana Airways began service from BWI to Accra. 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.

Four years later, in July 2004, the U.S. federal government prohibited Ghana Airways from flying to the U.S. According to officials, the company was operating on an expired license and had disobeyed orders to stop flying an unsafe plane.

In 2005, to accommodate Southwest's extensive presence at the airport, 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. The new facility, designed by URS Corporation, opened on May 22, 2005. On October 1 of that year, the airport was renamed Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, to honor former U.S. Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, a native of Baltimore.

In June 2006, North American Airlines introduced a link to Accra via Banjul, India, marking the restoration of direct flights between Baltimore and Africa. The carrier employed Boeing 767s on the route. Afterward, it made the Accra flight nonstop and added a route to Lagos. North American ended all scheduled service in May 2008.

In 2008, Health magazine named BWI the second-healthiest airport in the United States. In 2009 the airport had a six percent increase in air travelers due to the proliferation of discount flights. 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. BWI also ranked seventh, in medium-sized airports, based on customer satisfaction conducted by J.D. Power and Associates.

On August 5, 2014, the airport's little-used runway, 04–22, was permanently closed. 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 Airport, which arrived at 4:18 AM.

In 2015, Norwegian Air Shuttle announced it would begin 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, attributing the cessation to heavy financial losses.

In early 2016, a partnership between the airport and Towson University's WTMD radio station was announced, including a new concert series that takes place at the terminal's baggage claim on the lower level. Local bands included Wye Oak and others. The new series followed 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. The new expansion began operations in 2021. 2018 also marked a new annual record for passenger traffic at BWI Marshall Airport with over 27.1 million passengers.

In 2021, commuter airline Southern Airways Express ended its hub at BWI and switched its East Coast hub to Washington Dulles International Airport. In addition, the airport's international growth continued with the addition of a twice-weekly flight by Air Senegal to Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, via a stop in Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York City. However, in January 2023, Air Senegal ceased the New York City to Baltimore portion of this route, dropping Baltimore back down to only two year-round transatlantic flights. In 2022, Play Airlines began daily nonstop flights from Baltimore to Reykjavík, Iceland, which was quickly followed a few weeks later by Icelandair also resuming flights from BWI to Reykjavík.

On January 26, 2023, Copa Airlines announced they would start operating direct flights to Panama City, making it the first Central America-based airline to operate out of the airport. The flights began as scheduled in late June 2023.

Facilities

Runways

BWI Airport covers 3,160 acres (4.9 sq mi; 12.8 km²) of land and has three active runways:

• 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).

• Concourse A/B has 30 gates. Both are of exclusive use for Southwest.
• Concourse C has 14 gates. Used by Southwest, American and Contour.
• Concourse D has 23 gates. Used by all non-Southwest and American domestic flights, and Air Canada.
• Concourse E has 11 gates. Used for all international flights; international flights from Southwest and Spirit arrive here.

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.

Ground transportation

A Baltimore Light Rail train at BWI Rail Station

BWI was ranked one of the "Top 10 Easiest U.S. Airports to Get to" by Aviation.com in 2007.

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. 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.

Local buses that stop at the airport terminal include the Maryland Transportation Authority's 75 route to Patapsco station on Light RailLink and Arundel Mills Mall, as well as route 201, which connects the airport to Shady Grove station on the Washington Metro.

Passenger van service to and from the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland is available through BayRunner Shuttle with services to and from BWI to Kent Island, Easton, Cambridge, Salisbury, Ocean Pines, and Ocean City (for the Eastern Shore) and Grantsville, Frostburg, Cumberland, Hancock, Hagerstown, and Frederick (for Western Maryland). There are also numerous private car, rental car, and cab services, as well as shuttles that go to and from BWI to local hotels; Baltimore and Washington and their suburbs; and Central and Western Maryland.

Some former ground transportation services have been discontinued, including bicycle-sharing system from the Boston-based company Zagster 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 NSA Friendship 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. 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.

The Maryland Aviation Administration has its headquarters on the third floor of the terminal building.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Cargo

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest international routes from BWI (October 2021 – September 2022)

Rank	City	Passengers	Carriers
1	Cancún, Mexico	338,251	Frontier, Southwest, Spirit
2	Montego Bay, Jamaica	230,289	Southwest, Spirit
3	Punta Cana, Dominican Republic	106,032	Southwest
4	Oranjestad, Aruba	65,015	Southwest
5	London–Heathrow, United Kingdom	62,379	British Airways
6	Reykjavík–Keflavík, Iceland	58,506	Icelandair, Play
7	Toronto–Pearson, Canada	30,032	Air Canada
8	Nassau, Bahamas	26,374	Southwest
9	Frankfurt, Germany	16,755	Condor
10	Liberia, Costa Rica	12,799	Southwest

Airline market share

Annual traffic

Accidents and incidents at or near BWI

• On March 25, 1953, a USAF North 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.
• 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. ..... 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.
• 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.

In popular culture

BWI has been a backdrop in six films, Goldfinger (1964), Broadcast News (1987), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Company Business (1991), Home for the Holidays (1995), and Twelve Monkeys (1995).

It was also featured in the reality TV series Airline (2004–2005), an episode of the TV series House of Cards, and the TV documentaries Honor Flight (2007) and Eatin' Crabs Chesapeake Style (2009).

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Baltimore-Washington para niños