Nashville International

A Legacy of Private Aviation

The original airport in Nashville, which operated until 1921, was Hampton Field. It was replaced by Blackwood Field, which was in operation until 1928. The airlines of the time were flying out of Sky Harbor Airport in Rutherford County, which was nearby. However, Sky Harbor was a bit distant, and by 1935 it became clear that an airport closer to the city was needed. A plot of land was sought out, and a 340-acre plot of land composed of four farms was selected. Construction began in 1936, and it was named Berry Field after Col. Harry S. Berry, the Tennessee administrator for the Works Progress Administration (under which construction occurred). It opened in June 1937, with passenger service beginning in July with service from American Airlines and Eastern Airlines flying Douglas DC-3s. At the cost of $1.2 million, the airport had three runways, a three-story passenger terminal, a control tower, two hangars, and a beacon. The airfield was requisitioned during WWII by the US Army Air Forces Air Transport Command as the headquarters for the 4th Ferrying Command for the movement of new aircraft overseas. The airport was expanded by the federal government to 1,500 acres and was returned to the city at the end of the war. A few of the facilities were kept for the support of the tenant unit of the Tennessee National Guard. In 1958, plans were put in place to modernize and further expand the airport. A new 145,000 square foot terminal opened in 1961, and the first scheduled jets began flying that year, Boing 720s by American Airlines. One of the runways, 2L/20R, was extended by 600 feet, and a new crosswind runway was built (13/31). The 70s brought about a further need for expansion and modernization. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, which had just formed, created a plan for the airport's long-term growth, including a new terminal and a new parallel runway, which would reduce the time between takeoffs and landings. In the 80s, the Airport Authority commissioned the design of a modern terminal. Construction (at the direction of Robert Lamb Hart) began in 1984 and was completed in 1987. It featured three main concourses and a smaller commuter concourse. Furthermore, an international wong was built in Concourse A, and Berry Field was renamed Nashville International Airport/Berry Field (which is still reflected in the IATA code, BNA being short for Berry Field Nashville). A new parallel runway, 2R/20L, was opened in 1989. American Airlines opened its Nashville hub in 1986 to compete with Delta Air Lines, Eastern Air Lines, and Piedmont Airlines for north-south traffic in the US. Furthermore, American Airlines also operated a transatlantic flight to London. Unfortunately, the hub was not profitable, and it closed in December 1995. One's pain is another's opportunity, and Southwest Airlines gradually subleased American's gates and seized the lion's share of the Nashville market, a position which they have never relinquished. In 2002, the site of the demolished 1961 terminal building was used for a Regional Airline Support Facility by Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services. In 2006 the Airport Authority began extensive renovations of the terminal building. This involved the expansion of the food and vending services, improving the flight information systems, construction of a new consolidated security checkpoint for all terminals, expansion of ticketing and check-in areas, construction of and renovation of new bathrooms, renovation of baggage claim areas, and the expansions of parking with a new rental car facility. These improvements were completed in 2011 and brought the total size of the terminal building to over 1 million square feet. Runway 2L/20R was completely demolished and rebuilt, while Runway 2C/20C (along with the tarmac) was closed for pavement and concrete rehabilitation.