POSTCARD VIEWS OF ATLANTA AIRPORT IN THE EARLY 1980s
A postcard
view of Atlanta Hartsfield Airport showing the
north terminal shortly after opening. The bridge to nowhere on the right side of
the building is part of the airport MARTA (Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit
Authority) rail station which was incorporated into the original
terminal design although the MARTA line did not reach the airport until
1988.
This postcard shows various views of the new terminal in 1980. The area in front of the flagpoles was still bare dirt! One striking aspect of these early views is just how few
people and cars there were compared to today's
crowded conditions.
While the midfield terminal was enormous, futuristic and a masterpiece of function, it had about as much architectural pizzazz as your average strip mall or county government building; consequently, many early postcards emphasize the flagpoles out front (symbolizing Atlanta's growing role as an international gateway) instead of the terminal itself.
A Delta L-1011 Tristar above the west end of the terminal, now the site of the ATL Skytrain transit station that connects the airport with the Georgia International Convention Center and the rental car facility in College Park.
Curbside view of Atlanta airport's south terminal.
Here's a great view of the entire complex circa 1981 showing the main terminal in the foreground and concourses A through D beyond that. In this photo, concourse T extended from the north terminal at left while the other section had not yet been built. Concourse E now stands in the grassy area at the top center of this view and the international terminal is now located in the grass area to the right of the control tower in this photo. At bottom center you can see an empty rectangular area between the north and south terminals. This is now the site of the airport atrium.
Another great aerial view taken before the southern section of concourse T was built. It now stands in the diagonal grass strip just below the main terminal. The northern section of concourse T was originally used for international flights and a Lufthansa DC-10 and Eastern 727 can be seen at the gates at far right. Another notable change is how the parking lots and garages have been expanded since this photo was taken. The town of College Park and the interchange of I-85 and Camp Creek Parkway can be seen at the top of this view. And, of course, more flags!
Facing east with Delta's concourse A in the foreground. Circa 1980-81.
A fantastic view of concourse A from 1980-81 showing Delta's remarkable hub operation.
Circa 1983 curbside view of the north terminal.
