History
San Antonio International Airport was founded in 1941 when the City of San Antonio purchased 1,200 acres (490 ha) of undeveloped land north of the city limits (now part of the city's Uptown District) for a project to be called “San Antonio Municipal Airport.” World War II Wartime needs meant the unfinished airport was pressed into government service. The airport was opened in July 1942 as Alamo Field and was used by the United States Army Air Forces as a training base.
The 77th Reconnaissance Group, equipped with various aircraft (P-39, P-40, A-20, B-25, O-47, O-52, and L-5) trained reconnaissance personnel who later served overseas. One squadron (113th) flew antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico.
At the end of the war, the airfield was not needed by the military and was turned over to the City of San Antonio for civil use.
The former Terminal 2 was built in 1951-53, along with the FAA control tower and a baggage claim area. For HemisFair '68, a new satellite concourse was built, containing eight jet bridge gates and passenger waiting areas.
In 1975, the city adopted its first Airport Master Plan. It included plans for a new 1,300 space parking garage, and a new 360,000 sq ft (33,000 m2) Terminal (formerly called Terminal 1, now called Terminal A). Once the new terminal was completed in 1984, it brought the airport's capacity up from eight gates to 27 gates. In 1986, a new 221-foot (67 m) FAA Air Traffic Control Tower was built at a new location.
In 1994, a second Airport Master Plan was developed that would take the airport well into the 21st century. This master plan included major updates for the airport. It called for more parking spaces made available through a new 3,000 space parking garage that would be completed by 2007. In addition it had plans for improved airport access, as well as an improved concession program. Two new terminals were planned to replace the aging Terminal 2, to increase the airports gate-capacity to 35.
November 9, 2010 saw the closure of the original Terminal 2, and the opening of the new Terminal B. Terminal 1 was then renamed Terminal A. The removal of fixtures in the old Terminal 2 began in January 2011. The final structural demolition of Terminal 2 took place in May 2011.
San Antonio closed the end of the 20th century with over 3.5 million passenger boardings in 1999. Since 1966, the airport has boarded more than 80 million people.
On August 1, 2012, both terminals of the airport were evacuated due to a bomb threat called from the parking garage. After a search yielded no explosives, the airport reopened.
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