THE HISTORY OF JACKSONVILLE INTERNATIONAL
1975 -1979
United Airlines 727 pulling in to the gate at JAX in 1975. Photo from the Jacksonville International Airport archives.
National Airlines 727-100 on the Jacksonville ramp in 1975. Photo from the Jacksonville International Airport archives.
1975 photograph of a Delta L-1011 Tristar preparing for the short trip back to Atlanta. Photo from the Jacksonville International Airport archives.
Delta Air Lines Boeing 727 at the gate in 1975. Photo from the Jacksonville International Airport archives.
A collection of Jacksonville city timetables from 1976 - 1977. The National schedule from November 15, 1976 shows 18 departures with non-stops to Charleston(1), Daytona Beach(2), Miami(2), New Orleans(1), Newark(1), New York Kennedy(1), Norfolk(1), Orlando(3), Savannah(2), Tallahassee(1), Tampa(2), and Washington National(1). National's short-haul flights were segments of much longer "milk runs" that often crossed the entire U.S. For example, this timetable shows an arriving flight from Las Vegas with SIX intermediate stops that then continues on to Orlando and Miami! The United schedule effective January 5, 1977 shows only a single flight a day from JAX: flight 396 to Atlanta. The Southern flight directory shows 2 daily non-stops to Birmingham, continuing on to Memphis and St. Louis.
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A great view of a Delta DC-8-61 "Stretch Eight" from the edge of the parking lot in 1977. Photo from the Jacksonville International Airport archives.
Midday rush at JAX in this April 13, 1977 photo finds 5 National 727s, an Eastern DC-9-31, a United 727-200, a Delta L-1011 Tristar and a Delta Douglas DC-8-61 at the terminal. Photo from the Jacksonville International Airport flickr archives.
Here's the same scene from the opposite direction. The skyline of Jacksonville can be seen on the horizon. April 13, 1977. Photo from the Jacksonville International Airport flickr archives.
Delta L-1011 at the gate in May 1978. If you look closely you can see a Florida Airlines DC-3 in the distance, just below the wingtip of the L-1011. From the University of North Florida Lawrence Smith image collection.
In this July 31, 1978 photo, a DC-9 of intrastate carrier Air Florida is seen at far left. Air Florida's low fare flights across the Sunshine State proved to be a serious threat to National's long established Florida short-haul markets. Photo from the Jacksonville International Airport flickr archives.
October 2, 1978 photo from the Jacksonville International Airport flickr archives showing only a single Air Florida DC-9 at the terminal with an Eastern 727 on the taxiway. The Skycenter Hotel is in the foreground.
Here's another 1970s postcard view of the Skycenter Hotel.
Passengers boarding Air Florida DC-9-15 N75AF on a drizzly evening at JAX in December 1978. From the University of North Florida Lawrence Smith image collection.
December 26, 1979 view facing west along Airport Road, showing the separate roads for arriving and departing flights. In retrospect, this intersection looks really dangerous, doesn't it? Notice all the skid marks just before the roads cross. Photo from the Jacksonville International Airport flickr archives.
In 1979, the airport began construction of a new $3.5 million international arrivals facility at the end of the south concourse. The building included a customs processing facility and added an additional 3 gates to the airport. Also notable in this view is the dark tail of a Braniff 727 seen at the middle concourse, at top center. Braniff added Jacksonville to their map during an ambitious and ultimately ruinous expansion following airline deregulation. There is also a departing Delta DC-8-61 at top left. Photo taken December 26, 1979. Courtesy of the Jacksonville International Airport flickr archives.
Passengers boarding a Braniff 727 at Jacksonville. From the University of North Florida Lawrence Smith image collection.
