St. Louis Lambert International Airport
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St. Louis Lambert International Airport Template:Airport codes, commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert, is the primary international airport serving St. Louis, Missouri and its metropolitan area. Covering Template:Convert<ref name="FAA">Template:FAA-airport. Effective September 4, 2025.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> of land, it is the largest and busiest airport in the U.S. state of Missouri, being located Template:Convert northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. The airport provides nonstop service to over 80 destinations within the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe, having served nearly 16 million passengers in 2024.<ref name="Departure_Statistics">Template:Cite report</ref>
Named for Olympic medalist and prominent St. Louis aviator Albert Bond Lambert, the airport rose to international prominence in the 20th century thanks to its association with Charles Lindbergh, its groundbreaking air traffic control (ATC), its status as the primary hub of Trans World Airlines (TWA), and its iconic terminal.<ref name="LH" />
St. Louis Lambert International Airport is connected by the MetroLink mass transportation rail system to other parts of the St. Louis metropolitan area, including a future connection to the region's secondary commercial airport, MidAmerica St. Louis Airport about Template:Convert to the east.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
History
Beginnings
The airport had its beginnings in 1909, when the Aero Club of St. Louis created a balloon launching base called the "Permanent Aviation Field and Dirigible Harbor" in Kinloch Park, a suburban development of the 1890s.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> In October 1910, the airfield hosted the first International Air Meet, attracting "many famous persons," including the Wright brothers, who brought six airplanes and their Exhibition Team. President Theodore Roosevelt accepted the club's telegraphed invitation to attend, and after initially ruling out a flight,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> took off on October 11 with pilot Arch Hoxsey, becoming the first U.S. president to fly.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> The following year, the airfield—generally called "Kinloch Field"—was the takeoff point for what is generally regarded as the first parachute jump from an airplane.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The club's lease on the land expired in 1912, and the field was closed and its grandstand demolished. Efforts to revive the facility were unsuccessful.<ref name=":2"/>
In June 1920, a nearby 170-acre field<ref name=":2"/> was leased to the Missouri Aeronautical Society,<ref name="LHistory">Template:Cite web</ref> which named its facility the "St. Louis Flying Field." Among the Society's leading members was Albert Bond Lambert, an Olympic silver medalist golfer in the 1904 Summer Games, president of Lambert Pharmaceutical Corporation (which made Listerine),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and the first person to receive a pilot's license in St. Louis. So vigorous was Lambert in his efforts to promote St. Louis aviation that in 1923 the field was renamed "Lambert-St. Louis Flying Field."<ref name=":2"/> Lambert purchased the field outright in February 1925, and added hangars and a passenger terminal.<ref name="LHistory" /> In the late 1920s, the airport became the first with an air traffic control system–albeit one that communicated with pilots via waving flags. The first controller was Archie League.<ref name="Centenial_of_Flight">Template:Cite news</ref>
Charles Lindbergh's first piloting job was flying airmail for Robertson Aircraft Corporation from the airfield. He stopped at the airport during his cross-country San Diego to New York flight about a week before his record-breaking flight to Paris in 1927. In February 1928, the City of St. Louis leased the airport for $1. Later that year, Lambert sold the airport to the city after a $2 million bond issue was passed, making it one of the first municipally owned airports in the United States.<ref name="LH">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="timeline" />
In 1925, the airport became home to Naval Air Station St. Louis, a Naval Air Reserve facility that became an active-duty installation during World War II.<ref name="navy">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1930, the airport was officially christened "Lambert–St. Louis Municipal Airport" by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd. The first terminal building opened in 1933,<ref name=timeline /> and within the decade, the airport was served by Robertson Air Lines, Marquette Airlines, Eastern Air Lines, and Transcontinental & Western Air (later renamed TWA).<ref name="timeline">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In August 1942, voters passed a $4.5 million bond issue to expand the airport by Template:Convert and build a new terminal.<ref name=timeline />
During World War II, the airport became a manufacturing base for the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation (later McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing) and Curtiss-Wright.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref>
After World War II: expansion, Ozark Air Lines hub
After the war, NAS St. Louis reverted to a reserve installation, supporting carrier-based fighters and land-based patrol aircraft. When it closed in 1958, most of its facilities were acquired by the Missouri Air National Guard and became "Lambert Field Air National Guard Base." Some other facilities were retained by non-flying activities of the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve, while the rest was redeveloped to expand airline operations at the airport.<ref name="navy" />
Ozark Air Lines began operations at the airport in 1950.<ref name=timeline />
To handle increasing passenger traffic, Minoru Yamasaki was commissioned to design a new terminal, which began construction in 1953. Completed in 1956 at a total cost of $7.2 million, the three-domed design preceded terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City and Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport.<ref name="LH" /><ref name=timeline /> A fourth dome was added in 1965 following the passage of a $200 million airport revenue bond.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=timeline />
The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows 44 weekday TWA departures; American, 24; Delta, 16; Ozark, 14; Eastern, 13; Braniff, 6 and Central, 2. The first scheduled jet was a TWA 707 to New York on July 21, 1959.<ref>St Louis Post-Dispatch 22 July 1959 p3</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1971, the airport became "Lambert–St. Louis International Airport."<ref name="auto" />
In the 1970s, St. Louis city officials proposed to replace Lambert with a new airport in suburban Illinois. After Missouri residents rejected that, Lambert in 1977 received a $290-million expansion that lengthened the runways, increased the number of gates to 81, and boosted its capacity by half. (In 1997, MidAmerica St. Louis Airport would open in Mascoutah, Illinois, far from the site proposed in the 1970s.) Concourse A and Concourse C were rebuilt into bi-level structures with jet bridges as part of a $25 million project in the mid-1970s designed by Sverdrup. The other concourses were demolished. Construction began in the spring of 1976 and was completed in September 1977.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> A $20 million, Template:Convert extension of Concourse C for TWA and a $46 million, Template:Convert Concourse D for Ozark Air Lines (also designed by Sverdrup) were completed in December 1982.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Ozark established its only hub at Lambert in the late 1950s. The airline grew rapidly, going from 36 million revenue passenger miles in 1955, to 229 million revenue passenger miles in 1965. The jet age came to Ozark in 1966 with the Douglas DC-9-10 and its network expanded to Denver, Indianapolis, Louisville, Washington, D.C., New York City, Miami, Tampa, and Orlando. With the addition of jets, Ozark began its fastest period of growth, jumping to 653 million revenue passenger miles in 1970 and 936 million revenue passenger miles in 1975;<ref>Handbook of Airline Statistics (biannual CAB publication)</ref> Ozark soon faced heavy competition in TWA's new hub at Lambert.
In 1979, the year after airline deregulation, STL's dominant carriers were TWA (36 routes) and Ozark (25), followed by American (17) and Eastern (12).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In April 1980, British Caledonian began a nonstop flight to London's Gatwick Airport using a Boeing 707. This was the airport's first transatlantic service.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The company later partnered with Ozark so that the latter's network could feed the flights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> British Caledonian severed the link in October 1984.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Trans World Airlines hub
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After airline deregulation in 1978, airlines began to change their operations to a hub and spoke model. Trans World Airlines (TWA) was headquartered in New York City but its main base of employment was at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) and had large operations at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) as well as St. Louis. TWA deemed Kansas City's terminals unsuitable to serve as a primary hub. TWA reluctantly ruled out Chicago, as its Chicago operation was already losing $25 million a year under competition from American Airlines and United Airlines. This meant that St. Louis was the carrier's only viable option. TWA downsized in Chicago and built up in St. Louis, swapping three Chicago gates for five of American's St. Louis gates. By December 1982, St. Louis accounted for 20% of TWA's domestic capacity. Lambert's terminal was initially too small for this operation, and TWA was forced to use temporary terminals, mobile lounges and airstairs to handle the additional flights.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Concourse D was completed in 1985.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In April 1985, TWA began service from Lambert to London-Gatwick, Frankfurt, and Paris. It operated the flight to London with Boeing 747s and the ones to Paris and Frankfurt with 767s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
TWA's hub grew again in 1986 when the airline bought Ozark Air Lines, which operated its hub from Lambert's B, C, and D concourses. In 1985, TWA had accounted for 56.6% of boardings at STL while Ozark accounted for 26.3%, so the merged carriers controlled over 80% of the traffic.<ref>Fare and Service Changes at St. Louis Since the TWA-Ozark Merger Template:Webarchive, United States General Accounting Office. September 21, 1988. Retrieved July 27, 2013.</ref> The carriers were merged on October 26, 1986 at which time TWA served STL with nonstop service to 84 cities, an increase from 80 cities served by TWA and/or Ozark in 1985, before the merger.
Lambert again grew in importance for TWA after the airline declared bankruptcy in 1992 and the following year moved its headquarters to St. Louis from Mount Kisco, New York.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> TWA increased the number of cities served and started routing more connecting passengers through its hub at Lambert. The total number of passengers departing Lambert jumped almost 20% in a year, from 19.9 million passengers in 1993 to 23.4 million in 1994. Growth continued, to 27.3 million by 1997 and the airport's all-time peak of 30.6 million in 2000.<ref name="Passenger Stats">Template:Cite web</ref>
By September 1999, Lambert was TWA's main hub, with 103 destinations served by 515 daily flights: 352 on TWA mainline aircraft and 163 on Trans World Express flights operated by its commuter airline partners. Lambert became the eighth-busiest U.S. airport by flights. Congestion caused delays during peak hours and was exacerbated when bad weather reduced the number of usable runways from three to one, and traffic projections made in the 1980s and 1990s predicted enough growth to strain the airport and the national air traffic system.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As a result, city leaders decided to build a Template:Convert runway, dubbed Runway 11/29, parallel to the two larger existing runways. At $1.1 billion, it was the costliest public works program in St. Louis history.<ref name="USAT">Template:Cite news</ref> It required moving seven major roads and destroying about 2,000 homes, six churches, and four schools in Bridgeton.<ref name="USAT" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Work began in 1998 and continued even as traffic at the airport declined after the 9/11 attacks, the collapse of TWA and its subsequent purchase by American, and American's flight reductions several years later.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="11/29">Template:Cite news</ref>
American Airlines and hub closure
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As TWA entered the new millennium, its financial condition deteriorated; it was purchased by American Airlines in April 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The last day of operations for TWA was December 1, 2001, including a ceremonial last flight to TWA's original and historic hometown of Kansas City before returning to St. Louis one final time. The following day, TWA was officially absorbed into American Airlines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The plan for Lambert was to become a reliever hub for the existing American hubs at Chicago–O'Hare and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW). American was looking at something strategic with its new St. Louis hub to potentially offload some of the pressure on O'Hare as well as provide a significant boost to the airline's east/west connectivity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The September 11 attacks depressed air service nationwide: total airline industry domestic revenue passenger miles dropped 20% in October 2001 and 17% in November 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Overnight, American no longer had the same need for a hub that bypassed its hubs at Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth, which suddenly became less congested.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> As a result of this and the ongoing economic recession, service at Lambert was reduced to 207 flights by November 2003.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Total passenger traffic dropped to 20.4 million that same year.<ref name="Passenger Stats" /> On the international front, American dropped flights to London-Gatwick in October 2003, leaving St. Louis without transatlantic service.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2006, the United States Air Force (USAF) announced plans to turn the 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard into the 131st Bomb Wing. The wing's 20 F-15C and F-15D aircraft were moved to the Montana Air National Guard's 120th Airlift Wing at Great Falls International Airport/Air National Guard Base, Montana, and the Hawaii Air National Guard's 154th Wing at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. The pilots and maintainers moved to Whiteman AFB, Missouri to fly and maintain the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber as the first Air National Guard wing to fly the aircraft. Lambert Field Air National Guard Base formally shut down on June 13, 2009, when the final two F-15C Eagles did a low approach over the field and then flew away, ending an 86-year chapter of Lambert's history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2006 also saw the completion of the W-1W airport expansion after eight years of work. The culmination of this program was the opening of Runway 11/29, the airport's fourth, on April 13, 2006, when American Airlines Flight 2470 became the first commercial airliner to land on the new runway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="11/29" />
In 2008, Lambert's position as an American Airlines hub faced further pressure due to increased fuel costs and softened demand because of a depressed economy. American cut its overall system capacity by over 5% during 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At Lambert, American shifted more flights from mainline to regional.<ref>USA Today, Fuel-Cost Fallout: American Airlines is the latest carrier to cut routes, flights, retrieved July 26, 2013 Template:Webarchive</ref> Total passengers enplaned fell 6% to 14.4 million in 2008, then fell another 11% to 12.8 million passengers in 2009.<ref name="Passenger Stats" /> In 2009, American announced that as a part of the airline's restructuring, it would close its St. Louis hub by reducing its operations from about 200 daily flights to 36 daily flights by summer 2010.<ref name="stlcuts">Template:Cite news</ref> American's closure of the St. Louis hub coincided with its new "Cornerstone" plan, wherein the airline would concentrate itself in several major markets: Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, New York, and Los Angeles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A 12-gate section of Concourse D closed in 2009 as a result of the hub closure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Further flight reductions led to the closure of Concourse B and the rest of Concourse D in 2010 (though some gates at the east end of Concourse D are now part of Concourse E).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Recent years
In the aftermath of the American hub closure, Southwest Airlines boosted daily departures from 74 to 83, adding six new destinations for a total of 31. Southwest quickly replaced American as the carrier with the most daily flights, and continues to dominate the airport to this day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="WNSTLdominate">Template:Cite web</ref> Southwest Airlines had been growing steadily at Lambert since the mid-1990s. In 1998, the East Terminal (known today as Terminal 2) and Concourse E opened to accommodate Southwest's growth, where they operate today.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On April 22, 2011, a tornado (rated EF4 nearby but not at the airport itself) struck the airport's Terminal 1, destroying jetways and breaking more than half of the windows.<ref>April 22nd Tornadic Supercell Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area Template:Webarchive, National Weather Service, St. Louis, Missouri. (April 23, 2011).</ref><ref name="KSDK-2011-04-23">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="CBS News-Bedlam">Template:Cite news</ref> The wind damaged a Southwest Airlines aircraft by pushing a baggage conveyor belt into it. Four American Airlines aircraft were damaged, including one that was buffeted by Template:Convert crosswinds while taxiing after landing.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Another aircraft, with passengers still on board, was moved away from its jetway by the storm.<ref name="KMOV-Plane Moved">Template:Cite news</ref> The FAA closed the airport at 8:54 pm CDT, and reopened it the following day at temporarily lower capacity.<ref name="70% capacity">Template:Cite news</ref> The damage to Concourse C even forced the airport to temporarily reopen some of Concourses B and D for additional gate space.<ref name="refurbish" /> Concourse C underwent renovations and repairs and reopened on April 2, 2012.<ref name="refurbish">Template:Cite news</ref>
In late 2016, officials with the City of St. Louis announced that brand researchers had found that travelers might be confused by the name "Lambert–St. Louis International Airport".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They said they might rename it St. Louis International Airport at Lambert Field to freshen up the airport's image and emphasize "St. Louis" in the name. Descendants of Albert Bond Lambert opposed the change, arguing that it de-emphasized the importance of Maj. Lambert to the airport's history and the history of aviation. The proposal was amended, and the St. Louis Airport Commission voted unanimously to change the name to St. Louis Lambert International Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In May 2018, Wow Air began flights between St. Louis and Reykjavík on an Airbus A321. This was the airport's first service to Europe since 2003.<ref name="Mutzabaugh">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="pd1018">Template:Cite news</ref> Despite strong sales, Wow ended the route in January 2019 amid financial struggles.<ref name="pd1018" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In June 2022, Lufthansa commenced nonstop service to Frankfurt using Airbus A330s. German firms like Bayer and the Merck Group have a significant presence in St. Louis.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A second transatlantic flight will be added in 2026, with British Airways flying direct to London-Heathrow. Lambert previously had service to Britain until 2003; however, this will be the airport's first flights to Heathrow as previous service was to Gatwick.<ref>https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/business/article_7cdaa3a2-65ec-4288-b3aa-ed067e4abd76.html#tracking-source=home-top-story</ref>
In early 2022, airport officials released a plan that would consolidate both existing terminals into one, at the existing Terminal 1 site.<ref name="STLNewTerminal">Template:Cite news</ref> The proposal would gradually demolish Concourses A, B, C and build a single new concourse with 62 gates in its place, while retaining the iconic domed terminal building.<ref name="STLTerminalPres">Template:Cite press release</ref> Following the completion, Terminal 2 would be demolished or repurposed.<ref name="STLNewTerminal" />
Facilities
The airport is in an unincorporated area in Airport Township, St. Louis County.<ref>Template:Cite map</ref>
Terminals
The airport has two terminals, five concourses, and 54 gates.
- Terminal 1 contains 36 gates across two concourses, lettered A and C.<ref name="con">Template:Cite web</ref> It also has an American Airlines Admirals Club and one of the nation's largest USO facilities.<ref>Template:Usurped</ref>
- Terminal 2 contains 18 gates across one concourse, lettered E.<ref name="con" /> It also has a public lounge operated by Wingtips.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> All international flights without border preclearance are processed in Terminal 2.
Inter-terminal transfers/connections can be made by Terminal Shuttle Buses or on the Metro rail between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 (rail connection is free between the terminals as of July 2024)
Runways
The airport has four runways: three parallel and one crosswind. The crosswind runway, 6/24, is the shortest of the four at Template:Convert. The newest runway is 11/29, completed in 2006 as part of a large expansion program.<ref name="FAA" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Runway | Length | Width |
|---|---|---|
| 12R/30L | Template:Convert | Template:Convert |
| 12L/30R | Template:Convert | Template:Convert |
| 11/29 | Template:Convert | Template:Convert |
| 6/24 | Template:Convert | Template:Convert |
The airport's current ~Template:Convert control tower opened in 1997 at a cost of about $15 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ground transportation
The airport is served by MetroLink, the light rail transportation system serving Greater St. Louis. The Red Line has stations at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Metro lines serve the city of St. Louis, along with cities in St. Louis County, and Illinois suburbs in St. Clair County.
The airport is served by I-70; eastbound leads to downtown St. Louis and Illinois with a north–south connection at I-170 immediately east of the airport, while westbound leads to St. Louis exurbs in St. Charles County with a north–south connection at I-270 immediately west of the airport.
Art and historical pieces
Black Americans in Flight is a mural that depicts African American aviators and their contributions to aviation since 1917. It is located in Terminal 1 / Main Terminal on the lower level near the entrance to gates C and D and baggage claim. The mural consists of five panels and measures Template:Convert tall and Template:Convert long. The first panel includes Albert Edward Forsythe and C. Alfred Anderson, the first black pilots to complete a cross-country flight; the Tuskegee Institute and the Tuskegee Airmen; Eugene Bullard; Bessie Coleman; and Willa Brown, the first African American woman commercial pilot. The second panel shows Benjamin O. Davis Jr., Clarence "Lucky" Lester, and Joseph Ellesberry. The third panel shows Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James, Capt. Ronald Radliff, and Capt. Marcella Hayes. The fourth and fifth panels show Ronald McNair, who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, Guion Bluford, who in 1983 became the first African American in space, and Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space. Spencer Taylor and Solomon Thurman created the mural in 1990.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The mural had a re-dedication ceremony in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
One aircraft from the Missouri History Museum currently hangs from Lambert's ceilings. This aircraft, a red Monocoupe 110 Special manufactured in St. Louis in 1931, hangs in the ticketing hall of Terminal 2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The airport has also played host to two other aircraft. A Monocoupe D-127 hung near the eastern security checkpoint in Terminal 1. Charles Lindbergh bought it in 1934 from the Lambert Aircraft Corporation and flew it as his personal aircraft. It was removed in 2018 and returned to the Missouri Historical Society, from which the aircraft had been on loan since 1979, for preservation purposes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Until 1998, a Ryan B-1 Brougham, a replica of the Spirit of St. Louis, hung next to the D-127.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Template:Airport destination list
Cargo
Template:Airport destination list
Destination maps
| Domestic destinations map |
|---|
| Template:Location map+ |
| International destinations map |
|---|
| Template:Location map+ |
Statistics
Top destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Template:Flagicon Denver, Colorado | 485,390 | Frontier, Southwest, United |
| 2 | Template:Flagicon Atlanta, Georgia | 451,380 | Delta, Southwest |
| 3 | Template:Flagicon Orlando, Florida | 332,190 | Frontier, Southwest, Spirit |
| 4 | Template:Flagicon Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona | 301,890 | American, Southwest |
| 5 | Template:Flagicon New York–LaGuardia, New York | 295,210 | American, Delta, Southwest |
| 6 | Template:Flagicon Las Vegas, Nevada | 288,030 | Frontier, Southwest, Spirit |
| 7 | Template:Flagicon Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois | 277,240 | American, United |
| 8 | Template:Flagicon Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | 265,050 | American, Frontier |
| 9 | Template:Flagicon Charlotte, North Carolina | 257,060 | American, Southwest |
| 10 | Template:Flagicon Dallas–Love, Texas | 229,730 | Southwest |
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Template:Flagicon Cancún, Mexico | 217,344 | American, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit |
| 2 | Template:Flagicon Frankfurt, Germany | 189,063 | Lufthansa |
| 3 | Template:Flagicon Toronto–Pearson, Canada | 117,673 | Air Canada |
| 4 | Template:Flagicon Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | 35,789 | Frontier |
| 5 | Template:Flagicon Montego Bay, Jamaica | 10,844 | Frontier, Southwest |
Airline market share
| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwest Airlines | 9,741,000 | 64.85% |
| 2 | American Airlines | 1,580,000 | 10.52% |
| 3 | Delta Air Lines | 1,285,000 | 8.56% |
| 4 | United Airlines | 663,000 | 4.41% |
| 5 | Frontier Airlines | 348,000 | 2.32% |
| 6 | Others | 1,404,000 | 9.35% |
Annual traffic
| Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 20,065,737 | 2000 | 30,558,991 | 2010 | 12,331,426 | 2020 | 6,302,402 |
| 1991 | 19,151,278 | 2001 | 26,695,019 | 2011 | 12,526,150 | 2021 | 10,351,533 |
| 1992 | 20,984,782 | 2002 | 25,626,114 | 2012 | 12,688,726 | 2022 | 13,665,517 |
| 1993 | 19,923,774 | 2003 | 20,431,132 | 2013 | 12,570,128 | 2023 | 14,886,000 |
| 1994 | 23,362,671 | 2004 | 13,396,028 | 2014 | 12,384,015 | 2024 | 15,946,730 |
| 1995 | 25,719,351 | 2005 | 14,697,263 | 2015 | 12,752,331 | 2025 | |
| 1996 | 27,274,846 | 2006 | 15,205,944 | 2016 | 13,959,126 | 2026 | |
| 1997 | 27,661,144 | 2007 | 15,384,557 | 2017 | 14,730,656 | 2027 | |
| 1998 | 28,700,622 | 2008 | 14,431,471 | 2018 | 15,632,586 | 2028 | |
| 1999 | 30,188,973 | 2009 | 12,796,302 | 2019 | 15,878,527 | 2029 |
Accidents and incidents
Accidents
- August 5, 1936: Chicago and Southern Flight 4, a Lockheed 10 Electra headed for Chicago, crashed after takeoff, killing all eight passengers and crew. The pilot became disoriented in fog.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- January 23, 1941: a Douglas DC-3 of Transcontinental & Western Air crashed 0.4 miles west of St. Louis Municipal Airport during a landing attempt in adverse weather, killing two occupants out of the 14 on board.<ref>Template:ASN accident</ref>
- August 1, 1943: during a demonstration flight of an "all St. Louis-built glider", a Waco CG-4A, USAAF serial 42-78839, built by sub-contractor Robertson Aircraft Company, lost its starboard wing due to a defective wing strut support and plummeted vertically to the ground at Lambert Field, killing all on board, including St. Louis Mayor William D. Becker; Maj. William B. Robertson and Harold Krueger, both of Robertson Aircraft; Thomas Dysart, president of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce; Max Doyne, director of public utilities; Charles Cunningham, department comptroller; and Henry Mueller, St. Louis Court presiding judge.<ref>Bowers, Peter M., "Breezing Along with the Breeze", Wings, Granada Hills, California, December 1989, Volume 19, Number 6, p. 19.</ref> The failed component had been manufactured by Robertson subcontractor Gardner Metal Products Company, of St. Louis, which, coincidentally, had been a casket maker.<ref>Diehl, Alan E., PhD, "Silent Knights: Blowing the Whistle on Military Accidents and Their Cover-ups", Brassey's, Inc., Dulles, Virginia, 2002, Library of Congress card number 2001052726, Template:ISBN, pages 81–82.</ref>
- September 6, 1944: the starboard engine of the sole completed McDonnell XP-67 prototype, USAAF serial 42-11677, caught fire during a test flight. Test pilot E.E. Elliot executed an emergency landing at Lambert Field and escaped, but the fire rapidly spread, destroying the aircraft. This was a crippling setback to the XP-67 program, which had been plagued by delays and technical problems, and the second prototype was only 15% complete, so flight testing could not promptly resume. The United States Army Air Forces deemed the XP-67 unnecessary and canceled the program.<ref name="Mesko 2002 4–5">Template:Cite book</ref>
- May 24, 1953: a Meteor Air Transport Douglas DC-3 crashed on approach to the airport, killing six of the seven people on board.<ref>Template:ASN accident</ref>
- February 28, 1966: astronauts Elliot See and Charles Bassett – the original crew of the Gemini 9 mission – were killed in the crash of their T-38 trainer while attempting to land at Lambert Field in bad weather. The aircraft crashed into the same McDonnell Aircraft Corporation building (adjacent to the airport) where their spacecraft was being assembled.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- March 20, 1968: a McDonnell F-4 Phantom II jet fighter crashed on takeoff during a test flight. The aircraft pitched up and stalled almost immediately after lifting from the runway; both crewmen were able to eject and were not seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed in the ensuing explosion and fire. The crash was allegedly caused by a wrench socket, mistakenly left in the cockpit by maintenance crews, becoming lodged inside the control stick well on takeoff, jamming the stick in the full aft position.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- March 27, 1968: Ozark Air Lines Flight 965, a Douglas DC-9-15, collided with a Cessna 150F on a local training flight approximately Template:Convert north of the airport while both aircraft were on approach to runway 17. The Cessna was destroyed and both of its occupants were killed. The DC-9 sustained light damage and was able to land safely; none of its 44 passengers or five crewmembers were injured. The accident was attributed to inadequate visual flight rules (VFR) procedures in place at the airport, the failure of the DC-9 crew to spot the other aircraft in time, the Cessna crew's deviation from their traffic pattern instructions, and poor communications between the Cessna pilots and air traffic control.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- July 23, 1973: while on the approach to land at St. Louis International Airport, Ozark Air Lines Flight 809 crashed near the University of Missouri – St. Louis, killing 38 of the 44 persons on board. Wind shear was cited as the cause. A tornado had been reported at Ladue, Missouri, about the time of the accident but the National Weather Service did not confirm that there was a tornado.<ref>St. Louis, MO Airliner Crashes On Landing, July 1973 | GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods Template:Webarchive. .gendisasters.com. Retrieved on August 16, 2013.</ref>
- July 6, 1977: a Fleming International Airways Lockheed L-188 Electra, a cargo flight, crashed during the takeoff roll; all three occupants were killed.<ref>Template:ASN accident</ref>
- January 9, 1984: Douglas DC-3 registration C-GSCA of Skycraft Air Transport crashed on take-off, killing one of its two crew members. The aircraft was on an international cargo flight to Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada. Both engines lost power shortly after take-off. The aircraft had been fueled with jet fuel instead of avgas.<ref name=ASN090184>Template:Cite web</ref>
- April 8, 1990: A Missouri Air National Guard F-4 Phantom II veered off the runway during takeoff, crashed, and burst into flames. The pilot suffered minor injuries after his ejection seat failed to deploy and he was forced to exit the burning wreckage while the weapons officer fractured his left leg when he ejected from the aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- November 22, 1994: TWA Flight 427 collided with a Cessna 441 Conquest, registration N441KM, at the intersection of runway 30R and taxiway Romeo. The TWA McDonnell Douglas MD-82 was taking off for Denver and had accelerated through Template:Convert when the collision occurred. The MD-82 sustained substantial damage during the collision. The Cessna 441, operated by Superior Aviation, was destroyed. The pilot and the passenger were killed. The investigation found the Cessna 441 had entered the wrong runway for its takeoff.<ref name="Final Report AAR-95-05">Template:Cite book</ref>
- September 28, 2007: American Airlines Flight 1400, an MD-82 from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport to O'Hare International Airport, suffered an engine fire on the left engine right after takeoff, and a partial hydraulic and electrical failure. The aircraft returned to Lambert-St Louis after a go-around where a successful emergency landing was made, after the nose gear had to be extended by the emergency landing gear extension procedure. No injuries were reported among the 138 passengers and crew, although the aircraft was substantially damaged. During the investigation it was determined that the captain and ground crew had started the engine using an unapproved method.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- February 12th, 2025: United Airlines Flight 4427, a Bombardier CRJ-550 operated by GoJet Airlines from Dulles International Airport suffered a runway excursion while landing on Runway 11. There were no injuries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In popular culture
Television
- In the "Airport" episode of the television show NewsRadio, bad weather keeps Bill and Dave at Lambert for the entire show.
- In "The Airport" episode of the television show Seinfeld, Jerry and Elaine leave from Lambert.
- In the "Meg and Quagmire" episode of the television show Family Guy, Glenn Quagmire tells a story about landing at Lambert.
Film
- In the 1986 film Manhunter, FBI agents fly into Lambert during their pursuit of the killer.
- In the 1987 film Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Neal Page (Steve Martin) attempts to rent a car at Lambert, with disastrous consequences.<ref name="SLPD 2009-12-11"/><ref name="CDT 2011-03-13">Template:Cite news</ref>
- Part of the 2006 film The Lucky Ones, set in Austin, Texas, was shot at Lambert.<ref name="SLPD 2009-12-11" /><ref name="CDT 2011-03-13" />
- One scene from the 2009 film The Informant!, directed by Steven Soderbergh, was filmed at Lambert.<ref name="CDT 2011-03-13" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- The 2009 film Up in the Air was filmed in the St. Louis area, including in Lambert's Concourse D, between March 3 and the end of April 2009. In the film, George Clooney alludes to Lambert Field's rich history with the Wright Brothers and Charles Lindbergh.<ref name="SLPD 2009-12-11">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="CDT 2011-03-13"/><ref name="KSDK 2008-12-12">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="MO Film">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- The 2017 film The Layover was partially filmed and set at Lambert Airport.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
See also
References
External links
- St. Louis Lambert International Airport official site
- Template:FAA-diagram
- Video of President Theodore Roosevelt's October 1911 flight, from the Library of CongressTemplate:US-airport
- OpenNav airspace and charts for KSTL
- Passenger, Cargo and Flight Open Data for STL
Template:Minoru Yamasaki Template:St. Louis Template:Greater St. Louis Transportation Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- St. Louis Lambert International Airport
- Airports established in 1928
- 1923 establishments in Missouri
- Airports in Greater St. Louis
- Concrete shell structures
- Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Missouri
- Transportation buildings and structures in St. Louis County, Missouri
- Berkeley, Missouri
- Government of St. Louis