Happy Birthday Idlewild Field/JFK International Airport

Web: www.stevenfrischling.com — E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com

31/07/09 – Happy Birthday Idlewild Field/JFK International Airport

Having grown up at the end of JFK International Airport’s runways 4L/22R & 4R/22L (really at the departure end 4R and arrival end of 22L) and spending my childhood watching aircraft arrive and depart from these runways all day and night, I’d be remiss to not mention today is My Airport’s birthday.

Happy 61st Birthday to Idlewild Field/JFK International Airport!

Sixty-One years ago today President Harry S. Truman formally opened New York International Airport. At the time of the airport’s dedication by Truman its official name was New York International Airport, Anderson Field, however the airport’s common name of “Idlewild Field,” and airport code of “IDL,” came from the name of a golf course that was closed to build the airport.

Idlewild Field was officially changed to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on the 24th of December 1963 a month after President Kennedy was assassinated.

An interesting piece of trivia regarding JFK Airport’s official airport code of “JFK” is that the majority of airports that are renamed in memory of prominent figure retain their original airport designation code. When New York International Airport, Anderson Field, was officially rename to John F. Kennedy International Airport its airport code was officially changed to “JFK.” The airport code of “IDL” was eventually transferred to Indianola Municipal Airport in Mississippi

…so… I’d like to wish a happy birthday to the airport responsible for making just a little bit of an airline geek.

Happy Flying!