An airport is a complex of runways and buildings where the aircraft takeoff, land, and maintenance,

including the passengers facilities, hangars, control towers, and terminal buildings. The first use of
the term “airport” originated from Southampton, England. The earliest takeoff and landing surfaces
of an aircraft were grassy fields. The aircraft could approach at any angle that produced a favorable
wind path. There is also some slight improvement, the grass surface was change to dirt-only field,
which reduces the drag from the grass. However, these only worked well in a dry or sunny weather.
The improvement increases using concrete surfaces in landings; this is suitable for rainy or sunny
weather and even day or night. The Douglas Aeronautical Club was formed in year 1908, they
started with a glider made from mail order plans. They used two horses to pull the glider and lift it
up, they just flew their glider behind of their building. In year 1909, a motor and propeller put on the
airplane, producing the first powered airplane in Arizona. The airport status as the first international
airport in the US is confirmed by a letter from President Roosevelt declaring it “the first international
airport of the Americas”. After years went by different airports was build and developed, many
airports were used for military purposes and served as commercial airports. In year 1920, the
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport had opened. This was fully developed and one of the
largest and busiest airport on those period. It serves about 35,000,000 passengers each year and
continues to expand, recently opening a new 11,000 foot run away. This airport is still developing on
those time. Rome Ciampino Airport, opened in 1916, is also a candidate for the greatest airports on
that period. Its increased air traffic during World War I contributed to the construction of landing
grounds. Aircraft had to approach these from some directions, and this led to the development of
aids to guide the approach and landing slopes. The development is still continuing, after the war
some military airfields added facilities for handling passenger traffic, it was led by the Le Bourget
Airport. The Hounslow Health Aerodrome was the first airport to operate scheduled international
commercial services in August of 1919.

After the World War II, airport design became more sophisticated and modernize. Passengers
buildings were being grouped together, with runways arranged in groups about the terminal. An
improvement in the landing field was the introduction of grooves in concrete surfaces. These run
perpendicular to the path of the landing aircraft and help to eliminate excess water in rainy
conditions that could build up in front of the aircraft wheels.

In 1960’s, airport construction boosted with the increase in jet aircraft traffic. The runways were
expanded and extended out to 9,800 ft. Fields were built of reinforced concrete using a slip-forming
machine that creates a continuous slab with no length disturbance. The jet bridge system was used
in modern airport terminals, an innovation which eliminated outdoor passenger boarding. By the
1970s, these schemes had become popular in the United States. Modern runways are thickest in the
are where aircraft move slowly and are expected to load up to their maximum. Runways are
constructed as smooth and level as possible.

This is how airport developed through the years, started from slippery grass up to the
smoothest concrete surface. Buildings are properly arranged and grouped, and many facilities was
developed and produced. They managed their airport very well to have great performance for
serving the passengers, for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft and other operations. I know as
time goes by, many development and technologies will be adopted to our airport.