MOBILE REGIONAL AIRPORT
(BATES FIELD)




An Eastern propliner parked at the old MOB. The photo is undated, but judging from the color scheme, it's from the early 1960s.

Bates Field was opened in the late 1940s to replace downtown Brookley Field as the city's primary airport. For the first few years passengers at Bates were processed in temporary accommodations, but at some point during the 1950s a permanent terminal was built at the airport.

The design was simple: a rectangular structure with all necessary services under one roof. Offices and a control tower were built on the second level, along with a restaurant and observation deck. By the end of the 1950s MOB was served by Eastern, Southern, Capital and National, all of whom would introduce jet operations at Bates during the next decade.


A National Convair 340 idles at the MOB terminal during the late 1950s or early 1960s, with the terminal in the background. Note that a new holdroom has been built in front of the original terminal (see above photo for comparison). In the 1970s, the building would be expanded yet again, towards the airside.


A diagram of MOB from 1971. Baggage was claimed off of carts parked on the open-air boarding arcade (an enclosed baggage claim hall was added to the west side of the building later in the decade.

The terminal appears to have been extended and refurbished during the 1970s, but by 1978-1979 city officials were discussing the possibility of a new terminal. With deregulation on the horizon, the incumbent airlines (EA, NA and SO) were opposed - a new terminal would mean extra gates for potential competitors. Delta began jet flights to Atlanta (in competition with Eastern) around 1980, which only added fuel to the fire.

Eventually, however, the need for extra space became too great, and the airlines reluctantly agreed to finance a new facility. It would be built adjacent to the existing 1950s terminal.


An artist's rendering of the new MOB terminal, made in 1982. The existing building would have been to the left of the picture. Reprinted from Airport Forum magazine

In its final layout, the old MOB consisted of the original 1950s structure with the control tower on top, although it does appear that a new entranceway was added in the 1970s. A baggage claim addition on the west side of the building had been tacked on during the same time period. All aircraft boarding was via airstairs.

The new terminal was completed in 1986 and all scheduled operations were transferred there. New access roads were built, replacing the former Bates Field entrance. The old terminal was kept in service, however, for occasional VIP flights and general aviation/FBO services.


The old MOB as seen from the new terminal in 1991. The structure was still fairly modern-looking; note the newer facade and addition in the foreground. Photo by Tom Moore

A bird's eye view of MOB in the early 1990s, showing the new (left) and old (right) terminal areas. The old terminal is still standing, with some sort of private jet parked on the apron.

At some point in the 1990s, the terminal was razed for unknown reasons. Only the old parking lot remains, although it's seldom used and beginning to deteriorate (see photos below):


Two views of the MOB terminal site in 2003, taken from what was once the main parking lot. No trace of the terminal remains, and the parking lot is rutted and falling apart. Photos by Tom Moore


Two aerial views of MOB from the late 1990s. The old terminal has been demolished, although the parking lot and former access roadway remain.

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