The history of the airport goes back much farther than just 25 years.
Austin’s current airport once played an important role in helping America win World War II when it was a small airfield just outside of town.AUSTIN, Texas — This week, Austin’s Bergstrom International Airport celebrated 25 years of service to the millions of passengers who have flown in and out of Texas’ third-busiest airport. The airport officially opened in 1942 as Del Valle Airfield, southeast of the city. A year later, the name was changed to Bergstrom Airfield to honor Cpt.
In 1990, the U.S. Congress ordered the closing of the airport because it was no longer needed after the Cold War ended. For Austin, the timing could not have been better.It was hemmed in by neighborhoods and an interstate highway. Jetliners would often approach the main runway in what seemed to be a few feet above vehicle traffic on Interstate 35.
But the availability of the former air force base opened the possibility to converting it into the city’s new airport – and that’s what happened. After a few years of intense construction activity, the airport we know as Austin Bergstrom International officially opened on May 23, 1999.
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