This article was written by Mindy Kershner, senior manager of communications and community affairs at CVG.
This year marks the 75th year of commercial passenger service at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). On January 10, 1947, the first commercial passenger flight landed at CVG at 9:23 a.m., which was an American Airlines flight from Cleveland, OH. Minutes later, the first Delta Airlines and TWA flights landed. The three airlines averaged about 24 flights daily.
Since that time, CVG has grown and expanded into a diversified business with both passenger and cargo activity resulting in $6.8 Billion economic impact on the entire region each year. Today, the airport is building back to pre-pandemic flight volumes that averaged 175 flights daily. Air cargo operations are booming and breaking records, and significant land development is taking place.
The airport received its three-letter code, CVG, from the nearest major city at the time of its opening, Covington. The airport’s first official name reflected the metropolitan area it served. It later became the Greater Cincinnati International Airport and finally, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
CVG History
Over the last 75 years, enormous change has taken place at CVG. Below are just a few of the airport’s milestones. You can view a full timeline at CVGairport.com/history.
- 1944: The airfield consisted of four runways with connecting taxi strips, which was completed on August 12. It was first utilized by the Army Air Corps who used the airfield until September 1945 in which the government surrendered its lease.
- 1947: Commercial passenger flight activity began.
- 1960s: The jet age drastically changed the air travel experience. The airport’s infrastructure changed to accommodate more powerful jet engines and rapid passenger growth. Jetways were added and a new, longer 7,800-foot east-west runway was built and opened on April 1, 1967. The airport then proceeded with plans for a $1.2 million extension of the north-south runway to 9,500 feet. The runway system was able to handle any type of aircraft.
- 1970: The first FAA control tower was dedicated at 128 feet on May 9. It remained in use until the FAA dedicated a new 256-foot tower in 1998.
- 1971: CVG’s largest airline expansion took place when seven airlines signed agreements with CVG showing their commitment to provide air service for the community. The airport’s facilities expanded shortly thereafter.
- 1983: DHL Worldwide Express opened its cargo hub and night operations.
- 1991: The airport dedicated a new north-south runway.
- 2005: CVG saw recording breaking peak of 22.8 million passengers through the facilities.
- 2013: Frontier Airlines began service at CVG, becoming the airport’s first low-cost carrier.
- 2014: Allegiant Airlines began flying out of CVG.
- 2017: Southwest Airlines began flying out of CVG.
- 2019: Amazon broke ground to build its first global air hub.
Now, looking at the last several years and into the future, CVG is reaching new heights by creating tremendous economic growth for the airport and community. The current five-year strategic plan sets the course for the airport’s strategic focus between 2021 and 2025.
Strategies such as establishing new business ventures to commercialize non-aeronautical revenues comes to life through the airport’s innovation work. Autonomous and robotic technologies as well as robust data collection move the aviation industry forward while consistently improving the passenger experience.
Another strategy, to leverage aircraft maintenance and support services comes to life through the construction of Hangar Row. Partnerships like the one the airport has with FEAM moves this vision forward as the company prepares to construct its second hangar this year to service more aircraft at CVG rather than other airports.
And to its core, the airport continues to grow and diversify both passenger carriers and air cargo operations to ensure CVG is agile and ready for the future. Recruiting Silk Way West Airlines is one strategy to grow the general cargo footprint while the two global cargo hubs, DHL and Amazon, experience year-over-year growth.
The airport’s future success is based on the execution of this strategic plan. It’s also strongly centered around the support of the community. Getting back to the skies, taking that dream trip and being an ambassador for the airport and the region are all ways you can support.
As the travel industry catches up from challenges presented by the pandemic, more and more people are taking to the skies. If you haven’t seen by now, CVG is running a year-long travel dreams sweepstakes, where, every month, one lucky winner is receiving an airfare voucher with one of CVG’s airline partners to make travel dreams come true. You can learn more, join in the celebration and enter for your chance to win at CVGairport.com/CVG75.
