Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson (ATL)
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Atlanta Mayor William Berry Hartsfield Plaque (1971)
Atlanta’s airport has a rich naming history. Built on an abandoned auto racetrack named The Atlanta Speedway and opened in 1926 as Candler Field, named after the original plot’s owner, Coca-Cola tycoon and former Atlanta mayor Asa Candler.
As traffic grew after the end of WWII, in 1942 Candler Field was renamed Atlanta Municipal Airport and retained this name until 1971 when former Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield passed away and the airport was renamed in his honor.
Within a few months, in July 1971, the word “International” was added to the airport’s name when Eastern Airlines introduced flights to Mexico and Jamaica, Atlanta's first international service.
In 2003, the airport was renamed again to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport to honor former mayor Maynard Jackson, who died that year. The owning Atlanta City Council planned to drop Hartsfield's name from the airport, but public outcry prevented this.
2022 03 09
