LOUISVILLE STANDIFORD FIELD
Two views of the SDF terminal area in the 1960s. The bottom photo shows the ramp of the original Lee Terminal, while the aerial photo at top includes the concourses and Delta unit terminal
added in the early 1960s.
Louisville Standiford Field opened the 42,400-square-foot Addison Lee, Jr. Terminal Building on May 25, 1950. Only three years before, SDF had replaced Bowman Field as Louisville's
main commercial airfield. The new terminal was a permanent structure designed to handle 150,000 annual passengers. At that time there were airlines serving Louisville - American, TWA,
Chicago & Southern, Piedmont, Lake Central and Eastern.
In its opening configuration, the terminal consisted of a single four-story structure topped by a control tower. Passengers were handled on the ground level; the upper floors housed administrative
offices and a full-service restaurant. Passengers waited in a central lobby beneath the control tower, then passed through the airport's single gate to the apron, which could hold six aircraft
simultaneously. Parking for 300 cars was provided in an adjacent lot.
A view across the SDF ramp very shortly after the terminal opened in 1950.
The early days of the SDF terminal: American Airlines (left) and Eastern Air Lines (center, right) aircraft parked in front of the single boarding gate. Note the small garden fronting the terminal.
This setup was sufficient until the end of the decade, when two enclosed concourses were added to create more aircraft parking. At the same time, Delta Air Lines - which had merged with
Chicago & Southern in 1955 to become the airport's largest carrier - built its own four-gate facility to the east of the Lee Terminal. The complex now had more than 114,000 square feet of space.
A postcard from the early 1960s shows the original Lee Terminal (foreground) and the new Delta extension at rear.
Looking west towards the SDF terminals in the late 1960s. Delta's unit terminal is in the foreground, while the Lee Terminal (with a TWA 707 arriving) is at rear.
A diagram of SDF from 1964, showing the original Lee Terminal and Delta's terminal annex.
By the end of the 1960s, the complex was again in need of expansion. Jet aircraft had replaced propliners on most routes out of SDF, and the new planes demanded more apron and gate space. The Lee
Terminal was renovated to bring it up to modern standards. Allegheny Airlines (which had absorbed Lake Central in 1967) built an addition in 1970 on the west side of the complex. Allegheny's addition contained
ticketing and baggage claim space for the carrier, as well as two ground-level gates and a passenger holdroom.
The interior of Allegheny's new sub-terminal at Louisville.
From a 1971 Allegheny annual report
The following year, Delta added a multi-million dollar concourse to its unit terminal. A state-of-the-art moving walkway lifted passengers from the terminal lobby to the second level of the concourse.
Delta installed six jetway loading bridges along the concourse.
At the same time, a two-level addition was built on the landside of the original Lee Terminal, creating more passenger seating and circulation space in front of the ticket counters.
The Louisville expansion underway (left) and complete (right) in the early 1970s. Note the new Allegheny sub-terminal in the foreground, the new Lee Terminal lobby at center, and the Delta concourse at right.
An aerial view of Standiford Field in 1978 shows the additions made in 1970-1971. Note the new Delta concourse and Allegheny terminal, which flank the original Lee Terminal at center. From Airports of
the World by John Stroud
The newly expanded lobby of the original Lee Terminal in 1974.
From Airport Services Management magazine
Despite the additions, it was obvious by 1980 that the Lee Terminal had outlived its useful life as a passenger facility. Deregulation had opened Louisville up to many new carriers - United, Republic,
and People Express, to name a few - all of whom needed more space.
Construction began in 1983 on a new terminal complex at Standiford Field. Like Fort Lauderdale and Chicago Midway, the new facility
would be built on top of the old one, requiring a lengthy and complicated phased construction process.
The first phase included a new landside terminal, which was built in the parking lot of the Lee Terminal. Roads to and from the old building were routed around the construction, and passengers had to be bussed
to and from the building from remote parking areas.
In its final configuration in early 1985, the Lee Terminal consisted of three parts: the Delta terminal, used by Delta, TWA and People Express; the Lee Terminal, used by American, Eastern, Republic, United and Piedmont; and
the former Allegheny facility, used by USAir.
An aerial view of SDF shortly after the opening of new landside terminal in 1985. The old terminal is standing beyond; note that jetbridges have been added to the USAir terminal, as well as one of the concourses at
the Lee Terminal. Photo from Airport World magazine
Diagrams showing the two-part construction of SDF's new terminal.
The new $35 million landside terminal was opened June 30, 1985, housing ticketing and baggage claim facilities. Temporary bridges were added linking the new facility to the old terminal, where aircraft continued to park.
During 1985-1989, the original Lee Terminal and one of its concourses were demolished to make way for a massive new airside terminal.
A map of SDF in 1987, showing the new terminal building connected to the old facility. Note that the Lee Terminal has been razed.
Courtesy of Tom Moore
The new airside terminal was completed April 2, 1989, and all operations transferred there from the old concourses. Shortly thereafter, the USAir terminal and remaining Lee Terminal concourse were demolished.
The former Delta terminal, however, was left standing to handle charter and VIP traffic. It was finally removed around 1999 or 2000.
A view of the completed SDF terminal in the 1990s. Note that the former Delta concourse is still connected to the new facility.
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