Why Is Our Airport in Kentucky?

July 06, 2018 4 Comments

CVG circa 1954

One of the many things that make Cincinnati unique is the fact that our main airport is located in another state. This has puzzled local and out-of-town travelers alike for years. It wasn’t supposed to be that way of course.

Cincinnati’s first major airport was Lunken Airfield which opened in 1925 and is still in operation today. Commercial air service followed just a few years later. In 1930, the facility became known as Lunken Airport and was the largest municipal airport in the world. In 1937, the terminal building, still familiar to Cincinnati residents, was opened. Three years later, in 1940, American Airlines was founded at Lunken.

The airport should have continued to grow along with the air travel industry after World War II, but there were a few problems. First of all, the airfield was highly susceptible to flooding being located on the floodplain of two rivers, the Little Miami and Ohio. Second, its location in a valley made a fog a common occurrence. Third, the neighborhoods in the surrounding hills were continuing to grow and residents weren’t keen on the idea of increased air traffic over their homes. As early as 1938, a year after one of the area’s most devastating floods, city leaders were looking for a better option to handle Cincinnati’s air travel needs.

The Blue Ash Airport, then called Watson Field, seemed like a good candidate. It had opened in 1925 as Grisard Field and by 1928 commercial flights were being made from there to Louisville and Cleveland. Although, not as close to downtown as Lunken, Watson Field was mostly dry and fog resistant.

After World War II, the city of Cincinnati initiated plans to expand the Blue Ash facility, but local residents weren’t having it. Indeed, the community of Blue Ash incorporated as a village in 1955, and as a city in 1961, largely to fight the plan. Three failed bond measures, political disagreements, and Cincinnati’s failure take part in the federal airfield program all combined to kill the plan. Meanwhile, across the river, a group of savvy officials in Kenton County had been moving ahead with plans to bring the area’s commercial airport permanently to Northern Kentucky.

In 1944, the U.S. Army Air Corps opened a training base in neighboring Boone County, near Hebron. However, it was used for less than a year as the war drew to a close. A coalition of officials from Kenton, Boone, and Campbell County formed what would become the Kenton County Airport board and sprang into action. Shortly after the Army left, a terminal building opened on October 27, 1946. On January 10, 1947, the first commercial flight landed at the airport. Officials in Cincinnati saw this as a temporary situation and continued their ultimately unsuccessful efforts to bring the area’s main commercial airport to Blue Ash.

By 1960, when the first jet airliner landed at The Greater Cincinnati Airport in Boone County, the area’s commercial air facility was permanently in Northern Kentucky. CVG, for Covington, the Kenton County seat, was chosen as the airport code.

The main terminal building was expanded in 1960 and again in 1974 as two more terminal buildings were added. In 1980, the concourse of Terminal D (later called Terminal 3) was expanded, and in 1987 an additional 22 gets were extended out to the east of that concourse. This is now the current Concourse A.

The expansion was part of Delta Airline’s decision to start using CVG as a hub. Concourse B was added in 1993 as the Terminal D building was completely rebuilt and renamed Terminal 3. An underground train was also added to connect all 3 buildings. Concourse C, accessible only by bus, was also built around this time by locally-based regional airline Comair.

Today, only the Terminal 3 building remains, along with Concourses A and B. The original terminal building, as well as Terminal 2 (formerly Terminal C), were torn down to make way for a new rental car facility. Delta Airlines’ decision to drastically reduce flights and rely less on CVG as a hub temporarily cast a shadow on the airport's future.

However, an influx of new airlines in the past few years, and a slight uptick in Delta flights, has ushered in a new era for CVG.




4 Responses

Aira
Aira

February 03, 2023

I have read this article and it is really incredible. You’ve explained it very well. Tools are really helpful to make yourself more productive and do your work with ease.
온라인 카지노
카지노사이트
바카라사이트
토토사이트
호텔 카지노
https://www.j9korea.com/

Morgan
Morgan

January 29, 2023

With so much in my heart I am here to express myself on how Priest Salami saved my marriage from divorce. Myself and my husband were having some misunderstanding and it was tearing our marriage apart to the extent my husband was seeking a divorce. So I have no option other than to go to the internet to seek a solution to my problem. It was there I came across Priest Salami details and about how he has helped a lot of people by restoring their relationship. I contacted Priest Salami and in less than 48 hours my husband cancelled the divorce papers. Now myself and my husband live together in peace and harmony all thanks to Priest Salami for saving my marriage from breaking up. Priest Salami contact information are via email: purenaturalhealer@gmail.com. Whatsapp number: +2348143757229

JC
JC

September 21, 2022

Paulette- the official name is Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

Paulette From
Paulette From

August 12, 2022

If the airport is in Kentucky, why is it called Cincinnati?
I guess for the same reason Newark airport is actually in Elizabeth, NJ, but still called Newark?

Leave a comment


Also in Cincy Shirts News

My first memories as a Cincinnati Reds Fan
My first memories as a Cincinnati Reds Fan

March 19, 2024 1807 Comments

As the 2024 season draws near, I find myself reflecting on the journey that led me to become a devoted Cincinnati Reds fan. For many of us, our passion for this team and the game itself runs deep in our blood, often cultivated by the experiences shared with family and friends. 

Learn More

Cincy Shirts Student Spiritwear Design Contest!
Cincy Shirts Student Spiritwear Design Contest!

February 16, 2024 1700 Comments

Learn More

Banana Splits at Kings Island
Remember the Banana Splits Movie That Was Filmed at KI?

April 04, 2023 2330 Comments

Learn More