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In 1971, the International Arrivals building opened, followed by the installation of instrument landing systems on two of the runways in 1977.
In 1979, a tornado ripped through Windsor Locks, wreaking destruction along the eastern portions of the airport. The New England Air Museum sustained some of the worst damage. It reopened in 1982.
In 2001 construction commenced on a new parking garage. When it was completed, it initially could not be used; the intervening attacks of 9/11 had led to a regulation that would have required it to be set back further from the airport. For some time it was open but every vehicle had to be individually inspected, which severely reduced its value. Bradley eventually received a waiver for it from the Department of Homeland Security.
2001 also saw the commencement of the Terminal Improvement Project- an ambitious project to add a new terminal and gates to the airport and centralize passenger screening. The new terminal built by The Tomasso Group opened in 2003. The terminal improvement was part of a larger project to enhance the reputation of the City of Hartford as a destination for business and vacation travel.
Bradley saw a new nonstop flight from BDL to Los Angeles LAX in 2005, operated by Song Airlines which was a part of Delta Airlines at the time. Song Airlines has since merged operations with Delta Air Lines who still flies the route. The LAX flight was the first from BDL to the west coast since cutbacks following the attacks of September 11th. American Airlines had previously flown nonstop to LAX and United Airlines also flew nonstop to San Francisco, and Denver prior to the September 11th attacks.
Frontier Airlines, a low-cost airline based in Denver, began a daily flight to Bradley from Denver on March 2, 2007. It was the airline's first service to New England since service into Boston ended in 2002. It was announced on February 20 that Frontier's service to Denver would be five days a week. No service on Tuesday and Thursday.
On July 1, 2007, Northwest Airlines began the first ever trans-Atlantic flight from BDL to Amsterdam, the airlines European hub, giving passengers the option for numerous connection possibilities to the rest of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
On October 2–3, 2007, the Airbus A380 visited Bradley as part of its world tour, stopping in Hartford to showcase the aircraft to Connecticut workers for Pratt and Whitney and Hamilton Sundstrand, both divisions of United Technologies, who helped build the GP7000 TurboFan engines which is an option to power the aircraft.
On October 18, 2007, Bradley International Airport was named as one of the top five small airports in the North American Airport Satisfaction Study by J.D. Powers.
In December 2002, a new International Arrivals Building opened to the west of Terminal B. This new International Arrivals Building houses the Federal Inspection Station and has one jetway for deboarding the aircraft. The IAB replaced the old FIS in Terminal B and will be enlarged as volume demands. Two government agencies provide crucial support at the facility, these agencies are: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The FIS Terminal (International Arrivals Building) is a two-story, 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m²) facility adjacent to Terminal B and the recently constructed Remote Deicing Collection Facility. This entire Construction project included the FIS Terminal and associated landside and airside improvements; entrance roadway, sidewalks and concrete hardstand for arriving aircraft parking.
The FIS Terminal can process more than 300 passengers per hour from aircraft as large as a Boeing 747. International departures will be handled from the existing terminal complex. This facility cost approximately $7.7 million, which included the building and site work. A unique, 9’ x 20’ American flag tile mosaic was donated by Robert LaRosa, president of LaRosa Building Group, which designed and constructed the facility. The mosaic is visible upon entering the front of the building. This project was funded through the Bradley Improvement Fund.
Bradley International Airport (IATA: BDL, ICAO: KBDL, FAA LID: BDL) is a public airport located three miles (5 km) west of Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut.[1]
The airport is situated in the towns of Windsor Locks, Suffield and East Granby, about halfway between Hartford and Springfield. It is Connecticut's busiest commercial airport,[citation needed] with 390 daily take offs and landings, and the second-busiest airport in New England after Boston's Logan International Airport. Delta Air Lines is currently the largest carrier at Bradley,[citation needed] with several morning and evening departures to Atlanta and several Florida destinations.
The airport is home to the New England Air Museum.
Bradley has its origins in the 1940 acquisition of 1700 acres (7 km²) of land in Windsor Locks by the State of Connecticut. In 1941, this land was turned over to the U. S. Army, as the country began its preparations for the impending war.
Less than a year after the Army assumed control, the field at Windsor Locks had its first fatality. Among those assigned to duty in Windsor Locks was the young Lt. Eugene M. Bradley of Antlers, Oklahoma. While participating in a training drill, Lt. Bradley's P-40 crashed on August 21, 1941. Following a funeral at Talarski Funeral Home in Hartford, Lt. Bradley's remains were interred in the national cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.
After a groundswell of sentiment in favor of naming the airfield in Windsor Locks in honor of the airman, the airfield was renamed Army Air Base, Bradley Field, Connecticut on January 20, 1942.
Following the end of World War II in 1945, the airfield was returned to the State of Connecticut in 1946. The land was formally deeded to the State of Connecticut for public and commercial use in 1948.
As it returned to civilian use, the airfield in Windsor Locks became known as Bradley International Airport. With the arrival of Eastern Air Lines Flight 624 in 1947, civilian air travel at the airport commenced. International shipping operations at the airport began during the same year. It eventually came to replace the older, smaller Hartford-Brainard Airport as Hartford's primary airport.
In 1960, Bradley passed the 500,000 mark, handling 500,238 passengers.
In 1971, the International Arrivals building opened, followed by the installation of instrument landing systems on two of the runways in 1977.
In 1979, a tornado ripped through Windsor Locks, wreaking destruction along the eastern portions of the airport. The New England Air Museum sustained some of the worst damage. It reopened in 1982.
In 2001 construction commenced on a new parking garage. When it was completed, it initially could not be used; the intervening attacks of 9/11 had led to a regulation that would have required it to be set back further from the airport. For some time it was open but every vehicle had to be individually inspected, which severely reduced its value. Bradley eventually received a waiver for it from the Department of Homeland Security.
2001 also saw the commencement of the Terminal Improvement Project- an ambitious project to add a new terminal and gates to the airport and centralize passenger screening. The new terminal built by The Tomasso Group opened in 2003. The terminal improvement was part of a larger project to enhance the reputation of the City of Hartford as a destination for business and vacation travel.
Bradley saw a new nonstop flight from BDL to Los Angeles LAX in 2005, operated by Song Airlines which was a part of Delta Airlines at the time. Song Airlines has since merged operations with Delta Air Lines who still flies the route. The LAX flight was the first from BDL to the west coast since cutbacks following the attacks of September 11th. American Airlines had previously flown nonstop to LAX and United Airlines also flew nonstop to San Francisco, and Denver prior to the September 11th attacks.
Frontier Airlines, a low-cost airline based in Denver, began a daily flight to Bradley from Denver on March 2, 2007. It was the airline's first service to New England since service into Boston ended in 2002. It was announced on February 20 that Frontier's service to Denver would be five days a week. No service on Tuesday and Thursday.
On July 1, 2007, Northwest Airlines began the first ever trans-Atlantic flight from BDL to Amsterdam, the airlines European hub, giving passengers the option for numerous connection possibilities to the rest of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
On October 2–3, 2007, the Airbus A380 visited Bradley as part of its world tour, stopping in Hartford to showcase the aircraft to Connecticut workers for Pratt and Whitney and Hamilton Sundstrand, both divisions of United Technologies, who helped build the GP7000 TurboFan engines which is an option to power the aircraft.
On October 18, 2007, Bradley International Airport was named as one of the top five small airports in the North American Airport Satisfaction Study by J.D. Powers.
In December 2002, a new International Arrivals Building opened to the west of Terminal B. This new International Arrivals Building houses the Federal Inspection Station and has one jetway for deboarding the aircraft. The IAB replaced the old FIS in Terminal B and will be enlarged as volume demands. Two government agencies provide crucial support at the facility, these agencies are: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The FIS Terminal (International Arrivals Building) is a two-story, 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m²) facility adjacent to Terminal B and the recently constructed Remote Deicing Collection Facility.
This entire Construction project included the FIS Terminal and associated landside and airside improvements; entrance roadway, sidewalks and concrete hardstand for arriving aircraft parking. The FIS Terminal can process more than 300 passengers per hour from aircraft as large as a Boeing 747. International departures will be handled from the existing terminal complex. This facility cost approximately $7.7 million, which included the building and site work. A unique, 9’ x 20’ American flag tile mosaic was donated by Robert LaRosa, president of LaRosa Building Group, which designed and constructed the facility. The mosaic is visible upon entering the front of the building. This project was funded through the Bradley Improvement Fund.
All international arrivals except for those from airports with customs preclearance are processed through the IAB.
Rail
The closest train stations are Windsor Locks and Windsor, both serviced by Amtrak.[2] Connecticut Transit buses travel between the Windsor train station and the airport.
Bus
Connecticut Transit operates buses between Hartford, Windsor train station and Bradley Airport.
The airport has plans to entirely renovate Terminal B so that its architecture is unified with the newly constructed Terminal A building. Since 2003, Bradley has been adding more restaurants and stores and has a total of 20-30 concession options for travelers.
In conjunction with the new Northwest Airlines service to Amsterdam, airport officials have said that if the flight is successful, it is likely that more international service by other carriers will begin. Airport officials have stated that they are in talks with other European carriers to possibly bring more service to Bradley. Northwest Airlines would also look to upgrade the flight to an Airbus A330 if demand is strong.
Embraer, an aerospace company based in Brazil, has selected Bradley as its future Northeast service center in the United States. An $11 million project is in place with support from teams of the Connecticut Department of Transportation and Connecticut's Economic and Community Development. Embraer will build and operate a full maintenance and repair facility for its line of business jets.
Virgin America lists Hartford as one of thirty cities it expects to serve within the next five years, which would bring back non-stop service to San Francisco since the 9/11 attacks.
