Events per year 144 on record 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010
01 Fields and flying grounds1903–1918 · 5 OF 6 LISTED Grass fields, army aerodromes and the first flying schools. An airfield is wherever the ground is flat and the farmer agrees.
13 MAY Milestone Royal Flying Corps becomes the operator. — Milestone Latécoère becomes the owner. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. 1 APR Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator.
02 The airport is invented1919–1938 · 3 OF 6 LISTED Terminals, control towers and radio arrive. Capitals are linked by scheduled services, and cities start to build municipal airports.
— Milestone Aéropostale becomes the owner. — Milestone Air France becomes the owner. — Milestone Luftwaffe becomes the operator.
03 War1939–1945 · 18 OF 18 LISTED Thousands of military airfields are laid down in six years. Many of today’s airports began as one of them.
— Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. 16 APR Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Ministry of National Defense becomes the owner. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. JUN Milestone Luftwaffe becomes the operator. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone United States Army Air Forces becomes the operator. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. 10 JAN Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. 23 SEP Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. APR Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator.
04 Postwar and the jet age1946–1969 · 8 OF 8 LISTED Wartime fields pass to civil use and piston airliners fill them. From 1958 jets need longer concrete runways, and airports move further from the cities they serve.
— Milestone United States Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Royal Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Strategic Air Command becomes the operator. 1 MAY Milestone Soviet Air Forces becomes the operator. — Milestone United States Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone United States Air Force becomes the operator. 22 JUL Milestone Holden's Lightning flight. — Milestone Belgian Armed Forces becomes the operator.
05 Wide bodies1970–1989 · 4 OF 6 LISTED The 747 makes mass travel ordinary. New sites are chosen for size, not proximity.
— Milestone Scanian Air Wing becomes the operator. — Milestone Soviet Air Forces becomes the operator. — Milestone Finavia becomes the operator. JUL Milestone Finavia becomes the operator.
06 Built on water1990–2009 · 21 OF 69 LISTED In East Asia, where there is no land left, it is made: airports on artificial islands and reclaimed sea. Elsewhere, old city airports close.
29 NOV Milestone Listed as Scheduled monument. 25 DEC Milestone Russian Air Force becomes the operator. 25 DEC Milestone Russian Air Force becomes the operator. 25 DEC Milestone Russian Air Force becomes the operator. 25 DEC Milestone Russian Air Force becomes the operator. 25 DEC Milestone Ukrainian Air Force becomes the operator. 30 JUL Milestone British Army becomes the operator. 29 JUN Milestone Listed as Governmental listed building complex. — Milestone Gazprom Avia becomes the owner. — Milestone Scanian Air Wing becomes the operator. 1 JAN Milestone Avinor becomes the owner. — Milestone Söderhamn Municipality becomes the owner. — Milestone Listed as Remarkable Contemporary Architecture. — Milestone Jämtland Air Wing becomes the operator. 20 DEC Milestone Listed as Rijksmonument. — Milestone Ljusdal Municipality becomes the owner. 1 JAN Milestone Vannes agglo becomes the owner. 21 DEC Milestone Listed as Classified historical monument. 31 DEC Milestone Eskilstuna Municipality becomes the owner. 14 MAY Milestone Listed as Individual listed building complex. — Milestone Brăila County Council becomes the owner.
07 Hubs2010–2026 · 27 OF 31 LISTED Gulf and Asian hubs grow to the top of the rankings. Historic fields become parks and housing.
1 APR Milestone Listed as Individual listed building complex. 1 APR Milestone Peab becomes the owner. 14 JUN Milestone Listed as Scheduled monument. 21 NOV Milestone Listed as Cultural monument of the Czech Republic. 23 FEB Milestone Listed as National architectural monument of Latvia. 26 APR Milestone Listed as Grade II* listed building. — Milestone Russian Armed Forces becomes the operator. — Milestone Russian Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Russian Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Russian Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Russian Air Force becomes the operator. — Milestone Fraport becomes the operator. 1 JAN Milestone Lappeenranta becomes the owner. 1 JAN Milestone South Karelia becomes the owner. 11 APR Milestone Fraport Greece becomes the operator. JAN Milestone Edeis becomes the operator. 18 APR Milestone AtkinsRéalis becomes the operator. 22 DEC Milestone Vinci Airports becomes the operator. 1 APR Milestone Cardiff Airport becomes the operator. — Milestone Russian Air Force becomes the operator. 1 JAN Milestone Edeis becomes the operator. — Milestone Russian Armed Forces becomes the operator. JUL Milestone Enontekiö becomes the operator. 1 JUL Milestone SEALAV becomes the operator. — Milestone Swift Conjoy becomes the owner. 27 JUL Milestone Aero Club of Romania becomes the owner. JUL Milestone LOM Praha becomes the operator. FROM WIKIDATA AND THE FAA AIRPORT REGISTER · THE BEST-KNOWN FEW OF EACH KIND IN EACH YEAR · COUNTS AND THE CSV ARE THE WHOLE TABLE