ATLANTA'S JET AGE TERMINAL
After nearly a decade of planning and several years of construction, Atlanta's modern jet age terminal opened on May 3, 1961. The complex was the first in the world to be built specifically for jet aircraft. At the time, it was the largest passenger terminal in the country, covering sixty acres, with nearly a mile of concourses and 48 gates with parking for 52 aircraft. The enormous light-filled lobby and modern architecture was a far cry from the cramped and dreary temporary terminal that preceded it.
The layout was fairly typical of large airports of the early '60s, similar to Miami or Chicago O'Hare. The central 2-story terminal featured a 500 foot long ticketing lobby upstairs and baggage claim downstairs with long concourses extending from the main building. The turquoise paneled administration building and control tower was one of Atlanta's most identifiable landmarks during the following two decades.
Here's a four-page article about the Jet Age terminal from the June 1961 issue of the Delta Digest. To see a larger version of this, click HERE.
The layout was fairly typical of large airports of the early '60s, similar to Miami or Chicago O'Hare. The central 2-story terminal featured a 500 foot long ticketing lobby upstairs and baggage claim downstairs with long concourses extending from the main building. The turquoise paneled administration building and control tower was one of Atlanta's most identifiable landmarks during the following two decades.
Here's a four-page article about the Jet Age terminal from the June 1961 issue of the Delta Digest. To see a larger version of this, click HERE.
Two more pages from the same article. Large version HERE.
This picture appeared in a full page Delta advertisement promoting the
opening of the new terminal in May 1961. At center is Delta's concourse
E.
