1929: In the Beginning
The beginning of St. Louis Downtown Airport’s intricate history consists of name changes, assistance from pioneering airmen of the region, and implementing the structural roots of what is now a leading airfield.
The 1930’s: Oliver Parks Enters the Scene
With help from aviation pioneers including Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and a young pilot named Oliver Parks, St. Louis Downtown Airport gains national prominence as a centrally located air field and center for aviation education.
The 1940s: A Name Change to Curtiss-Parks Airport
The airport continues its way through a revolving door of names while the Parks College of Aviation grows, bringing added popularity to the already burgeoning airport.
The 1950s: A Period of Decline
Financial strain causes the airport to close, though an eventual demand for increased regional air service offers a new opportunity for the downtown airport.
1965: The Rebirth & Bi-State Development
A new era arrives as Bi-State Development acquires the dormant airport, reopening it as the Bi-State Parks Airport in 1965 as runway expansions begin.
The ’80s: Embracing “Downtown”
The St. Louis Downtown Airport name is officially adopted in 1984 to better emphasize the airport’s quick and easy accessibility to downtown St. Louis—a quality that is unmatched by any other airport in the St. Louis region.
