CINXE.COM
Friendship BWI Baltimore Airport History
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <title>Friendship BWI Baltimore Airport History</title> <meta name="author" content="Thomas Paul - Kilduffs"> <meta name="description" content="Baltimore's Friendship Airport BWI Postcard Photo History"> </head> <body style="color: rgb(0,0,0); background-color: rgb(192,192,192);" link="#000099" vlink="#990099" alink="#000099"> <div align="center"> <font color="#c0c0c0">....</font><img src="KilduffsGraphicAirports.jpg" alt="" width="331" height="114"></div> <font color="#c0c0c0"><br> </font> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"> ...<a href="http://www.kilduffs.org"><img src="KilduffsOrgGraphic.png" alt="" width="110" height="39"></a>=<br> </font><br> </div> <font color="#c0c0c0"> </font><br> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <div align="center"><big><big><span style="color: rgb(255,255,102);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51,102,102);"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><small><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img alt="" src="Airport_120_FriendshipAirport_with707.jpg" width="643" height="332"></small></font></span></span></big></big><br> <big><big><span style="color: rgb(255,255,102);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51,102,102);"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><small> </small></font></span></span></big><b><big><span style="color: rgb(255,255,102);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51,102,102);"> </span></span></big></b></big></div> <div align="center"><big><b><big><span style="color: rgb(255,255,102);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51,102,102);"> </span></span></big></b></big><font color="#c0c0c0">..</font><img src="Airport_14_Baltimore_FriendshipAirportlogo.jpg" alt="Friendship Airport Baltimore" width="136" height="82"><br> </div> <div align="left"><font color="#c0c0c0">..................................................................................................................</font><br> </div> <big><span style="color: rgb(255,255,102);"><span style="color: rgb(51,153,153);"></span><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"> <b><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);">Nothing presently exists of the original Friendship Airport building , currently known as BWI , Thurgood Marshall Airport. The airport, just south of Baltimore City, is on </span></b></font></small></span></big><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b><big><span style="color: rgb(255,255,102);"><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);">3,300 acres of </span></span></big></b><big><span style="color: rgb(255,255,102);"><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"><b>Anne Arundel County Maryland land. When the airport opened in 1950, it was said to cost $15,000,000, and was said at the time, to be four times larger than New York's La Guardia Airport and five times larger than Washington D.C.'s National Airport. Friendship Airport got it's name from the old Friendship Methodist Church that once occupied the site. When the airport was being planned in 1948, it was the second regional airport in the Baltimore Washington area, the first being Washington National Airport . The main runway, when Friendship first opened, was reported to be 2 miles long. The newer - BWI - Thurgood Airport has been built over the same site. When the airport first opened and throughout the 1950's, maps would often listed the address as " along the Baltimore Expressway ", an early name I guess for the Baltimore Washington Parkway.</b> </span></span></big></font></small><br> <br> <div align="center"><font color="#cccccc">..<img src="Airport_71_Friendship_Baltimore.jpg" alt="Friendship Airport Baltimore" width="140" height="125"></font><br> </div> <div align="center"><font color="#cccccc"> </font><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img src="Airport_601_GreetingsFromFriendshipAirport.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="379"><br> </div> <div align="center"><b><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#663366">Just before opening, the new Friendship airport awaits the big day in June of 1950</font></b><font color="#663366"><b>.</b> </font><br> </div> <div align="center"><font color="#cccccc">.</font><img src="Airport_80_Baltimore_FriendshipAirport.jpg" alt="Baltimore's Friendship Airport" width="600" height="362"><br> </div> <div align="left"> <div align="center"><img src="Airport_109_Baltimore_FriendshipAirport_1950.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="538"><br> </div> <div align="center"> .<img alt="" src="Airport_146_EarlyFriendshipRunway.jpg" width="1200" height="756"><br> </div> </div> <div align="center"><img src="Airport_600_Baltimore_FriendshipAirport.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="724"><br> </div> <div align="center"><img src="Airport_69_Baltimore_1964FriendshipAirportAd.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="728"><br> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img src="file:///M:/Kilduffs%20Compac/KilduffsNew/KilduffsNEW/Airports/Airport_17_FriendshipAirport_Baltimore_Entranceway.jpg" alt="Friendship Airport Baltimore" width="671" height="415"><font color="#c0c0c0">..............</font><br> </div> <div align="center"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#663366"><b>The good old days</b>....... <b>Pulling up in front of the Airport and "waiting for a while".</b></font><font color="#663366"> </font><br> </div> </td> <td valign="top"> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img src="Airport_4_Friendship_Airport.jpg" alt="Baltimore's Friendship Airport 1960's" width="720" height="421"><br> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img src="Airport_79_Baltimore_FriendshipAirport_Aerial.jpg" alt="Friendship Airport Baltimore" width="700" height="333"><br> </div> <div align="center"><b><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#663366">Aerial photo of Friendship soon after it opened</font>.</b><br> </div> <b> </b><font color="#c0c0c0">....................................................</font><img src="Airport_23_Baltimore_FriendshipWithPlane.jpg" alt="Baltimore Maryland Anne Arundel County Friendship Airport" width="500" height="376"><font color="#c0c0c0">..............</font><img alt="" src="Airport_120_FriendshipAirport_with707.jpg" width="643" height="332"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"><br> <font color="#c0c0c0">........../////////..........................................................................</font><br> <div align="center"><font color="#cccccc">.</font><img alt="" src="Airport_126_Friendship.jpg" width="1599" height="995"><br> </div> <br> <div align="center"><font color="#cccccc">.</font><img alt="" src="Airport_117_Friendship_Parkinglot.jpg" width="800" height="343"><br> </div> <br> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <div align="center"><big><font color="#663366"><i><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b>Above</b></font></small></i><b><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">, several opening day promotional shots of Friendship airport in Anne Arundel County Maryland. <i>Below left</i> , an early postcard of the airport, and <i>below right</i>, a view from the runway and the observation deck. </font></small></b></font></big><br> </div> <big><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#c0c0c0"> .........../////////////////////////////////////////////////////////........................................... <br> </font></small></big> <div align="center"><big><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#c0c0c0"> <b><font color="#663366">Lobby of Friendship Airport back in the 1950's.</font></b>.</font></small></big><br> </div> <div align="center"><small><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><big><big><b>Postcard view of the Lobby of Friendship Airport when it opened <i>( above 3 right )</i>. Friendship Airport might have been where the first branch for a bank in a airport was located, with the opening of the Fidelity Trust Office, which was a bank branch enclosed in glass walls.</b></big></big></font></small></span></small><br> <small><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"></span></small></div> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"><img src="airport_6_Friendship_lobby_Old_PC.jpg" alt="Old Lobby - Friendship Airport Baltimore" width="753" height="413"> </font><br> </div> <big><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#c0c0c0"><br> </font></small></big> <div align="center"><big><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#c0c0c0"> </font></small></big><big><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);">Early aerial view of Friendship Airport <i>( above four )</i> , shows only a few planes on the ground and one large hangar. The early days were not good for the airport as traffic was not quite what officials had expected, but with the advent of jet planes, such as DC8s. 707s and 727s, the airport became very successful. This entire building , which contained three piers and three levels, has since been torn down and replaced with Baltimore Washington International Airport. The airport was named after the area, known as Friendship, in Ann</span></b></font></small><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"><b><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">e Arundel County, just south of Baltimore City.</font></small></b></span></big><br> <big><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"></span></big></div> <div align="center"><big><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"> <font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img src="Airport_74_Baltimore_Friendship_FrontView.jpg" alt="Baltimore's Friendship Airport" width="800" height="421"> </span></big><br> <big><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"></span></big></div> <div align="center"><big><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"> </span></big><big><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b>Lost are the days when you were allowed to go right out on the roof of the airport and view the activity from the Observation Deck. I never made it to the old observation deck at Friendship, but today's BWI observation area is enclosed, which is ok, but not quite as exciting.</b></font></small> </span></big><br> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"><font color="#c0c0c0"> ..../////////..............................................................</font><img src="airport_18_Baltimore_Friendship_1950s.jpg" alt="Baltimore's Friendship Airport" width="488" height="449"><font color="#c0c0c0">............</font><img alt="" src="Airport_138_FriendshipAirport.jpg" width="713" height="670"> <br> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img alt="" src="Airport_125_Friendship.jpg" width="1075" height="679"><br> </div> <br> </td> <td valign="top"><font color="#c0c0c0">..........................</font> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" align="center"><img alt="" src="Airport_147_Baltimore_Friendship_ObservationDeck.jpg" width="1200" height="736"> <br> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" align="center"><img src="airport_1_Baltimore_FriendshipPC.jpg" alt="aerial view Friendship Airport Baltimore" width="777" height="489"><font color="#c0c0c0">..............</font><img alt="" src="Airport_141_Friendship_Baltimore.jpg" width="706" height="669"> <br> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"><br> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img alt="" src="Airport_124_Friendship.jpg" width="1515" height="938"><br> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"><br> <br> <br> <div align="center"><img src="Airport_5_Friendship_Airport_2.jpg" alt="Aerial View Baltimore Airport" width="598" height="304"><br> </div> </td> <td valign="top" align="center"><img src="Airport_31_Baltimore_Friendship_ParkingLotwithCars_PC.jpg" alt="Baltimore's Friendship Airport" width="696" height="363"> <br> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"><br> <br> <font color="#c0c0c0">////////////////////////////////////......</font> <br> </td> <td valign="top"><br> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img src="Airport_53_Baltimore_FriendshipAirport_mid1960s.jpg" alt="Friendship Airport, Baltimore 1960s" width="409" height="245"><br> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <div align="center"><big><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"><b><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img alt="" src="Airport_123_Friendship.jpg" width="1064" height="667"></font></small></b></span></big><br> <big><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"></span></big></div> <big><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"><b><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"> <br> </font></small></b></span></big> <div align="center"><big><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"><b><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"> Replacing the Dundalk Airport in Eastern Baltimore City and County ( <i>listed below</i> ) , Friendship Airport was quite an exciting opening day for folks all around Maryland. Below, Friendship's parking lot with a few spots visible, and well within walking distance of the airport. Times have changed as the parking lots are now multi- storied garages and the airport has satellite lots for long term parking as well. Below right, a look at the runways when the airport first opened, and far below left, the airport with two planes awaiting passengers.</font></small> </b></span></big><br> <big><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"></span></big></div> <big><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"> <font color="#c0c0c0">........///////////////////////////////////////........................</font><img src="Airport_73_Baltimore_FriendshipAirport_1950s_aerialView.jpg" alt="Baltimore's Friendship Airport" width="700" height="408" align="right"> </span></big><br> <small><span style="color: rgb(102,51,102);"><font color="#c0c0c0">....</font><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><big><big></big></big></font></small></span></small><br> <font color="#c0c0c0">...................//////////////////////////////////////////////////////.............................................</font> <br> <font color="#c0c0c0">...................................................</font><b><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#663366">TWA ticket counter, Friendship Airport - Baltimore Maryland circa 1950's<br> <font color="#c0c0c0">..................</font><img alt="" src="Airport_142_Friendsip_Inside.jpg" width="749" height="692"><br> <br> </font></b> <div align="center"><b><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#663366"> <img alt="" src="Airport_140_Friendship_Lobby_Baltimore.jpg" width="695" height="612"></font></b><br> </div> <b><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#663366"> <br> </font></b> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img src="airport_16_FriendshipAirport_PlanesLoading.jpg" alt="Friendship Airport Baltimore Maryland" width="725" height="448"> <br> </td> <td valign="top"><big><span style="color: rgb(255,255,102);"><br> <br> </span></big> <div align="center"><big><span style="color: rgb(255,255,102);"> <font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img src="airport_8_Friendship_Runway.JPG" alt="Baltimore Friendship Airport" width="568" height="370"> </span></big><br> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"><br> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img src="Airport_44_Baltimore_TWA1960s_Friendship.jpg" alt="1960's view, Friendship Airport, Baltimore" width="635" height="402"><br> </div> </td> <td valign="top"><br> <br> <br> <br> <div align="center"><img src="Airport_42_Baltimore_Friendship_1960s_planetakingoff.jpg" alt="Friendship Airport, Baltimore Maryland" width="598" height="313"><br> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <div align="center"><b><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><big><font color="#663366"> A few new entries for the Friendship Airport page that I obtained a opening day booklet for the Baltimore Civic Center , now known as First Mariner Arena. The booklet had all sorts of material on early 1960's Baltimore, which included these three pictures of a typical day at Friendship Airport. By 1963, Friendship airport boasted of a 9,450 foot runway, which could handle any jet at that time. For years the airport was owned and operated by the City of Baltimore, with 145 Municipal employees and 1,400 employees working there in 1963. At that time, there were 150 daily flights, 11 airlines and 19 gates available. Ownership later went over to the State of Maryland. </font></big></font></small></b><br> </div> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img src="Airport_70_Baltimore_Friendship_1964.jpg" alt="Friendship Airport Baltimore" width="700" height="357"><br> </div> <br> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img alt="" src="Airport_112_Friendship.JPG" width="770" height="484"><br> </div> <br> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"><font color="#c0c0c0">.........</font><img src="Airport_43_Baltimore_FriendshipAirport_aerialPhoro.jpg" alt="BWI Yesterday , Friendship Airport" width="543" height="300"> <br> </td> <td valign="top"><br> <font color="#c0c0c0">....</font><font color="#cccccc"><img src="Airport_72_Baltimore_Friendship_1950s_Tower.jpg" alt="Friendship Airport Tower 1950s" width="400" height="321"></font> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"><font color="#993399"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img alt="" src="Airport_143_BWI_1970s.jpg" width="1169" height="729"></font></font>.</font><br> </div> <font color="#c0c0c0"> <br> </font> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"> .<img alt="" src="Airport_144_Baltimore_Friendship_1972.jpg" width="1031" height="652"></font><br> </div> <font color="#c0c0c0"> <br> </font> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"> .</font><img src="Airport_86_Baltimore_Friendship_1950sRunways.JPG" alt="FriendshipAirport 1950" width="600" height="274"><br> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img src="Airport_108_Baltimore_Friendship_beingreplaced.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="547"><br> </div> <div align="center"><font color="#993399"><b><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">Baltimore Sun Photo</font><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"> </font><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"> Tribune Publishing -</font><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"> </font><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">Lloyd Pearson 1977</font></b></font><br> </div> <div align="center"> <font color="#993399"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b><font color="#663366">Out with the old - in with the new, the replacement of Friendship Airport and the building of BWI right next to it.</font></b></font></font><br> </div> <div align="center"><font color="#993399"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b><font color="#663366"> <img alt="" src="Airport_113_Baltimore1990s.jpg" width="800" height="544"></font></b></font></font><br> </div> <div align="center"><font color="#663366"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b>BWI in the 1980's, prior to the building of a massive parking garage, which went up in the late 1990's to 2000. The early airport of the 1960's had a parking lot which would only hold 1,900 cars.</b></font></font><br> </div> <div align="center"><font color="#993399"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b><font color="#663366"><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img src="Airport_48_BWI_1980s.jpg" alt="BWI in the 1980's" width="546" height="371"></font></b></font></font><br> </div> <font color="#993399"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b><font color="#663366"> <font color="#c0c0c0">.........................................</font><br> </font></b></font></font> <div align="center"><font color="#993399"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b><font color="#663366"> </font></b> <font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><img alt="" src="Airport_122_Friendship.jpg" width="722" height="505"></font></font><br> <font color="#993399"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"> </font></font></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr width="100%" size="2"> <hr width="100%" size="2"><br> <div align="center"><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><big><font color="#c0c0c0">.</font><a href="KilduffsIndex.html"><img src="KilduffsAtoZbuttonAirports.png" alt="" width="218" height="38"> </a></big></font></small><br> </div> <small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><big> <br> </big></font></small> <div align="center"><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><big> <b><font color="#663366">Kilduff's has 3 servers and 3 domain names :</font></b></big></font></small><br> </div> <small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><big> <font color="#c0c0c0">..............................................................................................................................................</font><a href="http://www.kilduffs.com/"><img src="KILDUFFSCOMbutton.jpg" alt="" width="163" height="38"> </a><font color="#c0c0c0">.........................<a href="http%22//www.kilduffs.net/"><img src="KILDUFFSNETbutton.jpg" alt="" width="162" height="38"> </a>.............................<a href="http://www.kilduffs.org/"><img src="KILDUFFSORGbutton.jpg" alt="" width="163" height="41"> </a></font></big></font></small><br> <div align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0">.....<a href="mailto:kilduffstheatreindex@gmail.com"><img src="Mailbox2.jpg" alt="" width="29" height="34"> </a></font><br> </div> <div align="center"><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><big><b></b></big></font></small><br> </div> <small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><big> <font color="#c0c0c0">....................................................................................</font><a href="http://www.kilduffs.net/TAGPAGE.html"> </a><br> </big></font></small> <div align="center"><small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><big> </big></font></small>All Rights Reserved - 2019 Kilduffs.Com<small><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.kilduffs.net/TAGPAGE.html"></a></font><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#cccccc">....<br> All .<br> .........................................</font><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#cccccc">................................................. </font></small><br> </div> <hr width="100%" size="2"> <hr width="100%" size="2"> <br> <br> <br> </body> </html>