Indianapolis International Airport

About Indianapolis International Airport

Indianapolis International Airport sits on 7,700 acres southwest of downtown Indianapolis, and its story traces back to a 1928 decision by city leaders that the growing Hoosier capital needed an airport it actually owned.

Built by Committee, Named by War Hero

In the summer of 1928, the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and City Council began pushing for a true municipal airport rather than relying on the state-owned Cox Field. A committee of businessmen whittled 43 proposed sites down to just two before settling on land along South High School Road. In 1929, the city purchased 320 acres for the landing area, plus another 627 acres for future expansion.

One of the men on that site-selection committee was Harvey Weir Cook, a Wilkinson, Indiana native and World War I flying ace with seven aerial victories to his name. Cook went on to become the new airport’s very first manager when Indianapolis Municipal Airport opened in 1931, with airline traffic beginning that February.

From Weir Cook to International

Cook’s story didn’t end with the airport’s opening. He remained a driving force in early American aviation, later helping secure official recognition for the Wright Brothers’ 1903 flight at Kitty Hawk. After the U.S. entered World War II, Cook was promoted to colonel in the Indiana Air Guard, and he was killed flying a P-39 over New Caledonia in March 1943.

The following year, on March 28, 1944, Indianapolis renamed its airport Weir Cook Municipal Airport in his honor. That name stuck for more than three decades, until the Indianapolis Airport Authority renamed it Indianapolis International Airport in 1976, reflecting the addition of a new customs building and international capability.

Cook’s Name Comes Back Home

The 1976 renaming didn’t sit well with veterans’ groups, who felt Cook’s name had been erased. That pressure paid off decades later. When a state-of-the-art new terminal opened on November 12, 2008, it was named the Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal, and the airport’s main entrance became Colonel H. Weir Cook Memorial Drive — bringing the WWI ace’s name back to the airport he helped build nearly 80 years earlier.

A Major Cargo Hub Today

Today, Indianapolis International Airport is owned and operated by the Indianapolis Airport Authority and serves as a medium hub for commercial passenger service. It’s also home to the second-largest FedEx Express hub in the world, trailing only the FedEx SuperHub in Memphis, keeping IND consistently ranked among the busiest airports in the country for cargo traffic.

More information on Indianapolis International Airport; Click here https://www.ind.com/

For more airfields click here: https://www.crossroadspowersports.com/category/airfields/