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CIIICAGO-O'HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CHICAGO MIDWAY AIRPORT
MERRILL C. MEIGS FIELD
annual report 1963
Flags at Chicago's International Airport
CHIC AGO-O'II ARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CHICAGO MIDWAY AIRPORT
MERRILL C. MEIGS FIELD
annual report 1963
RICHARD J. DALEY, MAYOR; JAMES C. MURRAY, PRESIDENT
PRO TEM; JOHN C. MARCIN, CITY CLERK
the Chicago city council
Ward
Aldermen
1
(Vacant)
2
William H. Harvey
3
Ralph H. Metcalfe
4
Claude W. B. Holman
5
Leon M. Despres
6
Robert H. Miller
7
Nicholas J. Bohling
8
James A. Condon
9
Dominic J. Lupo
10
John J. Buchanan
11
Stanley J. Nowakowski*
12
Arthur V. Zelezinski
13
David W. Healy
14
Joseph P. Burke
15
Joseph J. Krska
16
Paul M. Sheridan
17
Charles Chew, Jr.
18
James C. Murray
19
Thomas F. Fitzpatrick
20
Kenneth E. Campbell
21
Samuel Yaksis
22
Otto F. Janousek
23
George J. Tourek
24
Benjamin F. Lewis*
25
Vito Marzullo
26
Stanley M. Zydlo
27
Harry L. Sain
28
Alphonse R. Tomaso
29
Thomas F. Burke
30
Daniel J. Ronan
31
Thomas E. Keane
32
Robert J. Sulski
33
Robert Brandt
34
Rex Sande
35
Casimir C. Laskowski
36
Robert L. Massey
37
Paul T. Corcoran
38
William J. Cullerton
39
Philip A. Shapiro
40
Nathan J. Kaplan
41
Edward T. Scholl
42
Mayer Goldberg
43
Mathias Bauler
44
Thomas Rosenberg
45
Edwin P. Fifielski
46
Joseph R. Kerwin
47
John J. Hoellen
48
Robert J. O'Rourke
49
Paul T. Wigoda
50
Jack I. Sperling
Robert
J. Campbell, Record Clerk
WlLLIAI
A. F. Harrah, Sergeant- At- Arms
*Decea
sed
CITY OF CHICAGO
RICHARD J. DALEY
Mayor
WILLIAM E. DOWNES, JR.
Commissioner
DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION
Room 1000, City Hall • Chicago 2, Illinois
RICHARD J. DALEY
Mayor
WILLIAM E DOWNES, JR.
Commissioner
To His Honor the Mayor
and Gentlemen of the City Council
The Department of Aviation submits herewith its Annual
Report for the year ending December 31, 1963.
Included are some of the highlights of the year at Chicago-
O' Hare International Airport, the world's busiest airport, including
the memorable dedication by President John F. Kennedy.
Also presented are some of the factors which will ensure
that Chicago Midway Airport will soon again become one of the nation's
most active airports.
The report points out the economic importance of Merrill C.
Meigs Field, downtown airport on Chicago's lakefront, which is fre-
quented by a Who's Who of American Business.
The growing importance of helicopters and heliports to the
City is also discussed.
The Department gratefully acknowledges your cooperation
and assistance in promoting aviation in Chicago. Such activity will in-
evitably help the people of our City whose greatness is founded on trans-
portation.
Respectfully submitted
William E. Downes, Jr.
Commissioner of Aviation
CHICAGO-O'HARE
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CITY OF CHICAGO
CHICttO-O'BARE IHTERNHIODAL AIBPOBT
PASSENGERS
1947
217,412
1956
723,296
1948
238,314
1957
1,030,346
1949
259,408
1958
1,263,147
1950
176,902
1959
2,156,755
1951
146,278
1960
5,691,446
1952
127,796
1961
9,615,480
1953
201,968
1962
13,525,955
1954
311,530
1963
16,163,464
1955
471,170
AIRCRAFT
1947
108,704
1956
156,043
1948
121,416
1957
207,498
1949
124,519
1958
231,412
1950
94,682
1959
231,636
1951
80,519
1960
252,799
1952
70,958
1961
322,054
1953
90,940
1962
416,991
1954
117,461
1963
426,098
1955
142,912
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DEDICATION OF AIRPORT BY PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY
In dedicating the $200,000,000 Chi-
cago-O'Hare International Airport on
March 23, 1963, President John F.
Kennedy said, "There is no other air-
port in the world which serves so
many people and so many planes." He
also said, "This is an extraordinary
airport in an extraordinary city and in
an extraordinary country."
Included in the picture of the dedi-
cation shown below are: Senator Paul
Douglas, Special Events Director Jack
Riley, Governor Otto Kerner, Presi-
dent John F. Kennedy, Mayor Rich-
ard J. Daley, and two nephews of
Butch O'Hare for whom the airport is
named, Edward Palmer and Philip
Tovrea. An airplane, the elevated en-
trance roadway, and part of one of the
terminal buildings can be seen in the
background.
The airport so dedicated is one of
the wonders of the modern world.
Operated under a break-even contract
with the airlines at no cost to the Chi-
cago taxpayer, O'Hare has a two and
one-quarter mile runway and four
others, two terminal buildings each
longer than a City block, 500-acre
hangar area, 94-acre man-made lake,
its own telephone exchange and post
office, the world's largest airport fuel
system, and a host of other outstand-
ing features.
rj fi
OPENING OF BEAUTIFUL NEW RESTAURANT BUILDING
The beautiful new Carson Pirie Scott & Co. restaurant
building officially opened for business on March 25, 1963,
with a dinner for 240 business and civic leaders in the Seven
Continents, which has been called, "The finest gourmet
restaurant possible."
This beautiful glass and steel circular structure also con-
tains four other restaurants of different price levels. There
are no interior columns supporting the 190-foot span of
ceiling with its hundreds of low-intensity lights; the roof
is suspended from nearly a mile of heavy bridge cable.
The restaurant building, which was not completely fin-
ished during the year, cost $5,750,000 including furnishings.
After inaugural ceremonies and an open house for the
public on Columbus Day, October 12, 1963, the $2,750,000
new international terminal building was opened to regular
international operations the next day, Sunday, October 13.
The international terminal connects with the domestic
buildings and all are air-conditioned as well as heated. Inter-
national Building visitors can look down from the second
floor into a glassed-in lower-level Customs area and watch
the baggage inspection operation.
The nine airlines using the terminal initially included
Air France, Alitalia, British Overseas Airways Corporation
(BOAC), Lufthansa, Mexicana, Swissair, Pan American,
American, and Trans World. Scandinavian is also expected
to start in 1964.
1963 was the first full year of simultaneous bad-weather approaches
inaugurated December 15, 1962, when the Federal Aviation Agency
lowered ceilings for simultaneous approaches toward the southeast
from 3,000 to 900 feet. O'Hare is the only airport in the world with
simultaneous bad-weather landings. It is possible because the two
SE runways are 6,510 feet apart. It is necessary because high traffic
volumes at O'Hare would otherwise result in greater air traffic con-
gestion and delay.
On July 31, 1963, O'Hare began using a new radar installation
for control of airplane and vehicular traffic on the ground called
ASDE ( Airport Surface Detection Equipment ) . This equipment will
allow the Control Tower to "see," on a radar screen, ground traffic
on runways and taxiways even when the cab of the tower is above
a low cloud ceiling. The dome pictured on top of the tower protects
a concave antenna, rotating at one revolution per second, from
damage by wind.
r
The Chicago Association of Consulting Engineers in its annual
honor awards program, April 4, 1963, honored C. F. Murphy Asso-
ciates for the design of the complex of terminal, restaurant, and
concourse buildings in the terminal area at Chicago-O'Hare Inter-
national Airport. Among many unusual, attractive, and unique ele-
ments of the terminal design, probably the most unique are the
graceful "wishbone" supports for the elevated entrance roadway.
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After approval by the Chicago Plan Commission on September 26,
1963, a zoning plan for a 220 square mile area around Chicago-
O'Hare International Airport, extending in some directions up to
10 miles out, was sent to the State of Illinois Department of Aero-
nautics for review and adoption. The ordinance, which was prepared
by the Department of City Planning, in coordination with the
Departments of Aviation and Law, would restrict building heights
and land use in aircraft approach areas. At year end, public hearings
on this matter had not been concluded.
O'HARE IMMUNIZATION STATION OPENED
The nation's first immunization station operated by a City at an
international airport was opened January 18, 1963, at O'Hare. It was
manned in the International Terminal by a City Health Department
doctor and nurse one half day each week on a staggered shift basis,
to give approximately 500 noncompulsory smallpox vaccinations per
month to airport personnel coming in contact with arriving inter-
national passengers. Chicago was the first City to comply with a
request from the U. S. Public Health Service to start such a program.
It will be expanded if necessary to include shots against typhoid
fever, paratyphoid, cholera, and yellow fever.
YOUTH DAY
Each year the Chicago Youth Week Federation sponsors a com-
petition within all the various civic agencies dealing with youth
in Chicago, such as Girl Scouts, Chicago Park District, etc., to pick
a Junior Mayor and cabinet for Junior Officials' Day. Each year a
different City department is host to these young people. On May 7,
1963, with the help of department officials, Miss Barbara Shanahan,
Junior Commissioner of Aviation, sponsoring agency Y.W.C.A., was
hostess to a group of 35 Junior officials plus friends on a guided tour
of buildings and airfield at O'Hare. This was particularly appropriate
in 1963, because both Chicago-O'Hare International Airport and
most of the boys and girls were 17 years old.
START OF PAN-AM NOI
iO
Pan American World Airways, the leading international freight
carrier at O'Hare, began a non-stop jet cargo service to Europe in
mid-June of 1963. The plane which made this service possible was
the largest pure-jet all-cargo plane on the market, the Boeing 707-
321C. This seven-million-dollar plane, which can carry 40 tons of
freight across the Atlantic in 6V2 hours, has helped in making O'Hare
undisputed world leader in shipping air cargo.
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UNITED STARTS NEW CARGO BUILDING
United Air Lines, the leading domestic freight carrier at O'Hare,
began construction of the largest single-carrier air cargo terminal
in the United States in 1963. The terminal will be teamed with the
new DC-8F all-cargo jet aircraft which can carry 46 tons in domestic
service, and be loaded or unloaded with special equipment in 25
minutes. In addition to a 62,500 sq. ft. main floor, the building will
have cargo offices on the 15,000 sq. ft. second floor, and the airline's
main warehouse in a 36,000 sq. ft. basement.
CHICAGO — O'H ARE
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CHICAGO'S THREE MUN1C
CHICAGO MIDWAY AIRPORT
CHICAGO-O'HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT —
Chicago's Long-Range Airport — City-owned — Acquired war surplus March 22,
1946 — Approximately 6600 acres — Longest runway (of 5) 11,600 feet —
Mid-continent gateway to the great cities of the world, such as London,
Paris, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Tokyo, and so on — The busiest
airport in the world.
CHICAGO MIDWAY AIRPORT —
Chicago's Medium-Range Airport — Leased from the Chicago Board of Edu-
cation— Operations begun July 1, 1927 — Approximately 640 acres — Longest
runway (of 6) approximately 6,300 feet — Businessman's commuter airport
to cities of the United States, such as New York, Washington, Miami, New
Orleans, Dallas, Denver, and so on — Will become again one of the busiest
airports in the nation.
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Chicago's Short-Range Airport — Leased from the Chicago Park District —
Operations begun December 10, 1948 — Approximately 70 acres on the site
of the Chicago World's Fair of 1933-34 — Single-runway airport, runway
being approximately 3,900 feet long — Close-in lake-front, Downtown airport,
especially useful for general-aviation flights to close-in airports of other
midwest cities, such as Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Kansas City, St. Louis,
Minneapolis, and so on — The busiest single-runway airport in the world.
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AIRPORTS
MERRILL C. MEIGS FIELD
-* CHICAGO HELICOPTER AIRWAYS
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Each of the three largest cities in the United
States, i.e., New York, Chicago and Los Angeles,
has a scheduled helicopter airline operating in its
local area to serve the central city and nearby com-
munities. Chicago is very fortunate that Chicago
Helicopter Airways started operating here Novem-
ber 12, 1956. Over the years, it has operated sched-
uled mail flights, scheduled passenger flights, and
charter flights.
In many ways CHA has turned in the best
performance of all certificated helicopter airlines:
1) it has carried over twice as many passengers
in a single year as any other helicopter carrier;
2) it was the first to carry 1,000,000 passengers;
3 ) it has completed a larger percentage of scheduled
flights; 4) it has provided more service with fewer
employees; 5) it has enplaned more passengers per
employee and more tons per employee; 6) it has
operated at a lower cost per seat mile and a lower
cost per ton mile; and 7) it has saved the military
helicopter program ten times the total subsidy it
has received and ten times as much as all other
civilian operators together, by developing and mak-
ing available specialized maintenance knowledge,
according to Defense Department testimony.
On October 2, 1963, the Civil Aeronautics Board
renewed the operating certificate of CHA for two
more years, after hearing testimony from the City
of Chicago, such other cities as Gary, Waukegan,
and Park Forest, the Chicago Association of Com-
merce, the State of Illinois, the Departments of
Post Office and Defense, and many others.
Considerations for the certificate renewal included:
1) the conviction that air-traffic delays at O'Hare
and many other factors would soon lead to the
reviving of scheduled airline traffic at Midway so
that the Midway-O'Hare segment would again
become the most heavily traveled helicopter route
in the industry; and 2) the conviction that ground
congestion on the Kennedy Expressway to O'Hare,
already carrying expected 1980 traffic at 8% beyond
designed daily normal capacity with low-speed rush-
hour periods becoming longer and longer, would inevi-
tably breed increasing helicopter traffic below the
crowded airlanes and above the crowded highways.
There can be little doubt that a scheduled heli-
copter operation, as provided by Chicago Helicopter
Airways, will play a vital role in the solution of the
overall transportation problem for Chicago, a city
founded on transportation.
PASSENGERS
AIRCRAFT
1956
876
1956
14,320
1957
55,310
1957
52,084
1958
108,911
1958
104,112
1959
204,389
1959
126,608
1960
309,107
1960
163,888
1961
245,462
1961
145,162
1962
92,976
1962
61,864
1963
50,173
1963
36,228
CHA ROUTE MAP
AND II
Like scheduled helicopter operations, non-scheduled helicopter
operations also have tremendous potential for helping Chicago find
solutions to transportation problems.
One of the ways that small non-scheduled helicopters have
been of most use so far is in expressway traffic control. Both WGN
(720 KC) and WBBM (780 KC) radio stations have helicopters
in the air broadcasting information about traffic conditions on all
the expressways approximately every 15 minutes during both
morning and evening rush hours. Like the scheduled helicopters
of Chicago Helicopter Airways, the traffic helicopters operate from
Merrill C. Meigs Field, making that field one of the most important
heliports in the nation.
The non-scheduled type of helicopter has already been of
substantial use to the Chicago city government, especially in the
areas of fire fighting and air pollution control, in addition to traffic
control. Other potential local government uses, which may prove
important here in the future, are: search and rescue, following
fugitives, waterfront patrol, aerial loud speakers for emergencies,
aerial control of traffic lights, water pollution control, carrying
medical teams to disaster areas and patients to hospitals, mosquito
and other insect control, supervising public works construction,
checking wide areas for building code violations, checking new
construction for assessment purposes, enforcing heliport licensing
and helicopter operation ordinances, transporting public officials
in emergencies, and civil defense operations. In recognition of this
kind of potential, Los Angeles completed a new heliport on its
City Hall in 1962.
In addition to governmental uses of non-scheduled helicopters,
there is great potential for uses by business and industry, including:
carrying executives, inspectors and expediters, carrying spare parts
to prevent work stoppages, hoisting heavy weights to inaccessible
places, power line patrol, news coverage, surveying natural re-
sources, and many others. In 1963, almost 300 commercial firms
in the United States were using about 900 helicopters for many
of these purposes.
For the full potential of the non-scheduled helicopter to be
realized, of course, suitable landing places, or heliports, must be
provided for them. The City Council passed a heliport licensing
ordinance on July 13, 1962, and amended it on November 15, 1963.
It now appears that the Fire Department of the City, on top of its
Training School Building, and WGN Radio Station, on the ground
at 2501 Bradley Place, will qualify for the first heliport licenses.
The licensing procedure requires coordination by the Depart-
ment of Aviation among the various agencies whose approval is
required, including Federal Aviation Agency, State of Illinois De-
partment of Aeronautics, and City of Chicago Building Depart-
ment, Fire Department, Department of Aviation, and Zoning Board
of Appeals. This procedure assists in development of heliports, both
public and private, while at the same time providing fully for the
safety and peace of mind of the public.
WBBM HELICOPTER
WGN HELICOPTER
WGN HELIPORT
i «
FIRE DEPARTMENT HELIPORT
11
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CITY OF CHICAGO
MIUIU C. NEWS FIEID
PASSENGERS
1948
1,908
1954
127,341
1960
421,611
1949
45,355
1955
169,266
1961
356,231
1950
50,788
1956
209,630
1962
280,704
1951
55,460
1957
268,658
1963
286,911
1952
88,865
1958
309,268
1953
103,893
1959
332,225
^^^^^^_
AIRCRAFT
1948
958
1954
46,573
1960
109,570
1949
23,589
1955
56,178
1961
97,598
1950
25,812
1956
65,252
1962
74,235
1951
26,394
1957
80,066
1963
75,860
1952
32,438
1958
93,585
1953
37,611
1959
97,656
MEIGS AIRFIELD
****
MEIGS TERMINAL
IMPORTANCE OF MEIGS
Merrill C. Meigs Field was opened for aircraft
operation immediately after its dedication on
December 10, 1948, by Mayor Martin H. Ken-
nelly. This was the same year whose beginning
witnessed the creation of the Bureau of Aviation,
which later, i.e., in 1959, became the Depart-
ment of Aviation.
The area of Meigs is small, only about 70
acres, and this restriction of area makes it impos-
sible to offer a full range of services and develop
a full spectrum of revenues from operation of
hangars, cargo buildings, aircraft salesrooms, etc.,
as at most airports. It would require considerable
expansion of area to provide for such services
and revenues, and to give the airport the chance
to break even in a narrow business-accounting
sense.
However, in a broader and more meaningful
sense, the airport does far better than break even.
The economic benefit which Meigs brings to
Metropolitan Chicago is very large. It is regu-
larly and frequently used by planes of companies
constituting a Who's Who of American Business.
It brings thousands of convention visitors here
annually to the nearby McCormick Place Con-
vention Hall. It provides downtown to downtown
access from other mid-western cities. It is very
convenient to a whole complex of close-by recrea-
tional and educational facilities attractive to the
air traveler.
Merrill C. Meigs Field, in relation both to
viewing its attractive new terminal building
(opened October 19, 1961) lighted at night, and
to reviewing the tremendous community benefit
that its presence brings to Chicago, is a jewel
on the Chicago lake front. Officials of other large
cities have said that, if they had a field as useful
and as attractive and as unique as Meigs, they
would be delighted and very anxious to do all
possible to develop it to its full potential. Even
though aircraft parking area is too restricted to
allow any planes to be based at the field, Meigs
is the busiest single-runway airport in the world.
12
irnms — *
ACTIVITIES CLOSE TO MEIGS
The above pictures illustrate seven of the most
important close-by recreational and educational facili-
ties available to the air traveler near Meigs Field. The
seven include: 1) McCormick Place, $40,000,000 con-
vention hall, the nation's finest, with a main floor the
size of six football fields; 2) Soldier Field, huge sta-
dium seating 110,000 people, scene of great religious,
sports, musical, and other events; 3) Chicago Natural
History Museum, one of the most complete natural
history museums in the world; 4) Shedd Aquarium,
famous as the world's largest building devoted exclu-
sively to acquarium purposes; 5) Adler Planetarium,
a theatre where the stars and planets of any land and
any age can be made to move across a man-made sky
to illustrate fascinating lectures, and a museum with
one of the world's finest collections of antique astro-
nomical instruments; 6) 12th Street Beach, for those
interested in swimming; 7) Yacht Harbor, for those
interested in motor-boating or sailing.
VISITING PLANES REPRESENT WHO'S WHO
OF AMERICAN BUSINESS
Most of the leading American corporations which
own airplanes operate those planes regularly and fre-
quently into Meigs Field. These operations undoubt-
edly contribute very substantially to Metropolitan
Chicago's annual $10.8 billion of retail sales, $24.6
billion of wholesale sales, $24.9 billion of manufac-
turers' sales, and $2.7 billion of service sales. Corporate
names appearing frequently on planes at Meigs include:
Continental Can, General Motors, Ford, Miles Labora-
tories, Goodyear, Firestone, Brunswick, Schaeffer Pen,
Kodak, IBM, Oscar Mayer, Minnesota Mining, Re-
public Steel, Inland Steel, National Distilleries, St.
Louis Post Dispatch, Johnson's Wax, and many hun-
dreds of others. The convenience of Meigs for company
aircraft must be considered at least partly responsible
for the fact that 503 of the nation's 650 leading corpo-
rations have operations in Chicago.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS BROUGHT TO
CHICAGO
Chicago averages 1200 trade shows and conventions
a year, compared with 750 for its closest rival among
the 75 other North American cities which are in the
convention business. The average convention and busi-
ness visitor stays four days and spends $40 per day,
or approximately $250,000,000 in total, each year. This
money is indirectly but quickly spread around the City
and suburbs. About $70,000,000 of it becomes increased
annual payroll in Metropolitan Chicago which boosts
purchasing power and the economy in practically every
neighborhood. Meigs Field brings into the City every
year a great many of these convention and business
visitors. If the average incoming passenger spends at
only half the rate determined by the Chicago Conven-
tion Bureau, the airport would still bring in more
than $9,000,000 to the community each year. This
lovely airport is undoubtedly a bargain as well as a
showplace for the City.
AIRCRAFT PARKING AREA
DESIGN ENGINEERING SHOW
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
CITY OF CHICAGO
> MIDWAY AIRPORT
^k ^k ^k ^t
AS OLD-TIME SMALL AIRPORT
YESTERDAY AND TODAY
The growth of Chicago into the nation's second largest
metropolitan area has been due, in no small part, to
the excellence of its transportation facilities. At the very
outset of commercial air transportation, Chicago was one
of the first communities in the United States to operate
its own municipal airport.
The construction of what is now Chicago Midway
Airport started in the fall of 1926. Its first aircraft opera-
tions began July 1, 1927. Its runways were made of
cinders, and its area was only a quarter square mile.
On December 12, 1927, Mayor William Hale Thompson
dedicated the new field. On November 15, 1931, Mayor
Anton J. Cermak dedicated a new terminal building
now known as the South Terminal Building.
The first non-stop Chicago to New York flight (4 hrs.
5 mins. ) was flown by TWA on January 9, 1935, at a
time when six other airlines were already operating out
of the airport. In 1940, a railroad track was removed
from the center of the present square mile, freeing the
whole area for airport use. In 1946, the new terminal
now known as the North Terminal Building was com-
pleted during the administration of Mayor Edward J.
Kelly. Building materials were so scarce during the
construction of this terminal, because of World War II,
that some of the structural members were adapted from
war surplus artillery gun barrels.
Safety measures originated at Midway which later
became common at most airports, include: 1 ) Clearing
for takeoff with flags at departure end of runway; 2) Con-
trol tower (operated by City at first and later turned
over to Federal Government) with radio communication
to all aircraft; 3) Installation of an electronic runway
localizer, forerunner of the present Instrument Landing
System (ILS); 4) Marking ends of runways in tens of
degrees Compass Heading, now standard regulation
throughout the world; and 5) Filing of flight plans for
aircraft flying between cities.
Chicago Midway Airport was for many years the
busiest airport in the whole world. Its all-time high
came in 1959 with 10,040,353 passenger movements, and
431,400 aircraft operations.
After the last scheduled flight, one operated by United
Air Lines, left Midway on July 9, 1962, all Chicago
scheduled fixed-wing air traffic operated from O'Hare.
Midway then settled down for an interim period, which
included all of the year of 1963, to wait for the growing
traffic congestion at O'Hare, and the factors listed on
the following pages, to bring the southwest side airport
inevitably back to prominence as one of the busiest
airports in the nation (probably about 10th) with a
substantial part of Chicago's airline passenger traffic
(probably about 40%).
AS WORLD'S BUSIEST AIRPORT
AS 1963 AIRPORT
AIRPORT
AIRCRAFT
PASSENGERS
1928
15,498
1940
704,846
1952 5,945,438
1929
44,452
1941
804,461
1953 7,151,474
1930
62,456
1942
720,746
1954 7,935,879
1931
97,070
1943
802,490
1955 9,134,483
1932
100,847
1944
1,089,553
1956 9,174,930
1933
133,247
1945
1,496,634
1957 9,709,633
1934
175,538
1946
2,598,418
1958 9,667,696
1935
191,738
1947
2,645,674
1959 10,040,353
1936
260,863
1948
2,564,103
1960 6,981,667
1937
315,283
1949
3,246,693
1961 3,565,561
1938
352,563
1950
3,820,165
1962 659,549
1939
501,164
1951
4,953,160
1963 417,544
1927
800
1940
88,201
1953
331,297
1928
41,660
1941
87,837
1954
348,909
1929
93,613
1942
88,349
1955
380,996
1930
58,688
1943
118,477
1956
368,580
1931
71,083
1944
120,783
1957
408,128
1932
60,947
1945
153,007
1958
420,193
1933
63,252
1946
190,338
1959
431,400
1934
80,492
1947
206,140
1960
376,168
1935
60,727
1948
221,552
1961
249,852
1936
73,345
1949
223,493
1962
107,768
1937
79,919
1950
234,331
1963
126,959
1938
69,604
1951
263,737
1939
79,350
1952
295,456
TOMORROW
Three of the factors which make the rebirth of Mid-
way practically certain, aside from such obvious factors
as the capacity operation at O'Hare and the complete
inadequacy of airline service for three and one-half
million people on the south side of Chicago, are the
following:
BOEING 727 THREE-ENGINE PLANE
The Boeing 727, which was flight-tested from its base
at Renton, Washington, from February through Decem-
ber in 1963, is unquestionably the most important and
outstanding and useful airplane in airline history after
the Douglas DC-3. Carrying 90 seats one-class, or 70
seats first class, or 94 seats mixed, or 119 seats coach
only, it has the ability to bring jet smoothness and
10-mile-per-minute speed to the ordinary airline airport
and to the airline passenger from a small community.
It has an exceptionally low noise level; taxiing or flying,
it whispers to the people who are airport neighbors.
It has come through all tests with flying colors, with
drag 5% less and fuel consumption 4% less than origi-
nally estimated. United, Eastern, TWA, American and
other airlines have already bought this remarkable air-
plane which is expected to begin airline service early in
1964. Under ordinary circumstances, it is expected to
be able to operate at Midway using only about half
a runway length for either landing or takeoff.
SOUTHWEST EXPRESSWAY TO MIDWAY
The 18-mile, $194,000,000 Southwest Expressway will
provide a quick 15-minute, 10-mile, expressway route
between Midway Airport and Downtown Chicago, when
put into operation in October of 1964. This expressway
will connect McCormick Place, the nation's finest con-
vention hall which is on the Chicago lake front, with
famous Route 66 at the Cook-DuPage County Line just
west of the Tri-State Tollway. The route of the South-
west Expressway is historic. The road is being con-
structed on the bed of the old Illinois and Michigan
Canal which was dug in 1848 to connect the Great
Lakes and Mississippi waterways by connecting the
Chicago River to the DesPlaines and Illinois Rivers.
It follows the portage trod by Marquette and Joliet in
1673, and it runs right alongside the modern Great
Lakes-Mississippi waterway connection, the Chicago
Sanitary and Ship Canal, built in 1900 and improved
from time to time thereafter.
BOEING 727
CONSTRUCTION OF SOUTHWEST EXPRESSWAY
THREE CLOSE-IN BIG-CITY AIRPORTS
Three of the most important cities in the United States have very much the same airport
situations. They are: Washington, D.C., the nation's capital; New York, N.Y., the nation's largest
city; and Chicago, 111., the second largest city.
LA GUARDIA AIRPORT
WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT
All three cities have a long-range, large-size, far-out,
newer airport which can handle the biggest planes leaving
for the most distant cities. All three cities have a medium-
range, moderate-size, close-in, older airport which can
handle more quickly and conveniently the businessman's
commuter type of air traffic to cities in a large part of
continental United States. A table comparing the six
airports at the three cities is provided below. In the pic-
tures above, the World's Fair Unisphere can be seen
in the background of LaGuardia, and the Pentagon in
the background of Washington National.
There can be little question that the three medium-
range airports have just as much potential for future
passenger and freight traffic generation as the three long-
range airports. The Port of New York Authority which
operates the New York airports, and which has very
businesslike and good management, is building a $36,000,-
000 terminal building, nearly seven times as big as the
terminal it replaces, at LaGuardia, to be ready for
World's Fair visitors by April, 1964. It is also extending
LaGuardia 's two runways to 7,000 feet each at a cost
of $42,000,000 to be completed in 1966, after the World's
Fair.
The traffic potential of these three medium-range air-
ports even among themselves alone is very substantial.
Their total potential, with other cities in addition, is
tremendous. Each of these three airports is obviously a
very valuable civic asset which should be carefullly devel-
oped for the benefit of the community.
SIX SCHEDULED AIRPORTS AT THREE IMPORTANT
CITIES
CHICAGO
NEW YORK
WASHINGTON
Midway
0'Hare
LaGuardia
Kennedy
National
Dulles
Road Miles Downtown
10
17
8
20
4
27
Road Minutes Downtown
15"
25"
25
45
15
45
Feet Longest Runway
6,300
11,600
7,000b
14,600
6,870
11,500
No. of Runways
6
5
2
5
3
3
Acres of Airport
640
6,600
575
4,900
850
10,000
When Operations Began
7/1/27
3/22/46°
12/2/39
7/1/48
6/16/41
11/17/62
Aircraft Operations, 1963
126,959
426,098
71,288"
312,363
294,797
90,674
Passenger Movements, 1963d
417,544
14,616,740
2,928,961e
12,751,573
5,464,010
666,559
Aircraft Operations, 1959
431,400
231,636
172,213
199,173
309,340
— 0 —
Passenger Movements, 1959d
9,439,629
1,904,585
5,290,875
6,972,217
5,005,746
— 0 —
"Other than in rush hours (and after SW Expressway is completed in 1964).
O'Hare time approaches 50 minutes in rush hours.
''5,965 feet until extension is completed in 1966.
'Civilian, under City of Chicago.
''Enplaned plus deplaned passengers only, not including through passengers.
New York and Washington do not have record of throughs. At Chicago, through:
were: 1959— Midway 300,362 (est.), O'Hare 126,085 ;1963— Midway— 0— ,
O'Hare 773,362.
■Considerable rerouting of traffic because of peak construction period.
COMPARATIVE
ACTIVITY
' REPORT
FOR THE
CHICAGO
AIRPORTS
O'HARE
MIDWAY
MEIGS
Passengers:
1962
1963
% Inc. (Dec.)
1962
1963
% Inc. (Dec.)
1962
1963
% Inc. (Dec.)
Scheduled
13,298,710
15,981,321
20.2
344,740
32,275
(90.6)
30,892
29,711
(3.8)
Non-Scheduled
227,245
182,143
(19.8)
314,809
385,269
22.4
249,812
257,200
3.0
Total
13,525,955
16,163,464
19.5
659,549
417,544
(36.7)
280,704
286,911
2.2
Aircraft:
Scheduled
329,780
357,461
8.4
37,240
12,048
(67.6)
11,782
11,560
(1.9)
Non-Scheduled
87,211
68,637
(21.3)
70,528
114,911
62.9
62,453
64,300
3.0
Total
416,991
426,098
2.2
107,768
126,959
17.8
74,235
75,860
2.2
DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION
CITY OF CHICAGO
WILLIAM E. DOWNES, JR., Commissioner
J. P. DUNNE, 1st Deputy Commissioner
FRANCIS E. CALLAHAN, Deputy Commissioner
JOHN A. CASEY General Manager of Operations
FRANK C. SAIN Administrative Engineer
HERBERT H. HOWELL Chief of Planning
JOHN F. O'CONNOR Chief of Finance
JOHN H. GOSSAU Acting Chief of Contracts
RAY C. BROWNELL Civil Engineer
KENNETH W. COURSE Administrative Assistant
RALPH K. HEINZE. Manager, Chicago-O'Hare International Airport
MICHAEL J. BERRY Manager, Chicago Midway Airport
WILLIAM J. O'BRIEN Manager, Merrill C. Meigs Field
17
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