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75-622: In 2003, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) on a proposal to build a maglev project linking downtown Baltimore to BWI Marshall Airport and Union Station in Washington, D.C. The project would have used Transrapid , a German maglev technology. An Environmental Impact Statement was prepared, but Maryland suspended

150-536: A 395,000 sq ft (36,700 m ) area. Its facilities include a 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m ) cargo building in the Midfield Cargo Complex, including a 200,000 square feet warehouse used for Amazon Air, a foreign trade zone , a 17 acres (6.9 ha) air cargo ramp, and ramp parking for 17 aircraft with direct nose-in access for eight freighters. BWI was ranked one of the "Top 10 Easiest U.S. Airports to Get to" by Aviation.com in 2007. BWI

225-481: A Global Entry Enrollment Center, as well as a TSA PreCheck enrollment facility. In the early 1990s, BWI Airport opened the Thomas A. Dixon Aircraft Observation Area at Friendship Park. The observation plaza features a playground and a terrace overlooking the southern approach to the airport's 15R-33L runway. From this vantage point, several planes can be viewed simultaneously as they prepare for landing. The southern loop of

300-522: A cemetery were moved. Baltimore–Fort Meade Road was moved to the west to make way for the airport's construction. Friendship International Airport was dedicated on June 24, 1950, by President Harry S. Truman . Truman arrived in a Douglas DC-6 , then the official presidential airplane, from nearby Washington National Airport . Accompanying Truman were the Governor of Maryland , William Preston Lane Jr. , and Baltimore Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. , who

375-476: A connection for passengers on the Northeast Corridor through Amtrak . BWI was the first airport in the U.S. with a dedicated intercity rail station. The station provided rail transit access to Washington, D.C., something that Dulles International Airport did not achieve until late 2022. In 1997, a new international terminal (Concourse E), designed by STV Group and William Nicholas Bodouva & Associates,

450-484: A couple nonstop flights to Miami , but westward nonstop flights did not reach beyond Ohio . The airport's reach expanded when jet service started. The early Boeing 707s and Douglas DC-8s could not use Washington National Airport , and Dulles International Airport , which opened in 1962, had not yet opened, so Baltimore became Washington, D.C.'s jet airport from May 1959 to June 1959, when American and TWA began transcontinental 707 flights. By 1963, Friendship Int'l Airport

525-598: A hub for Piedmont Airlines and successor US Airways , but that airline's financial problems in the wake of the dot-com bust , the September 11 attacks , and low fare competition forced it to cut back. The airport has been a haven for low-cost flights in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan Area since Southwest Airlines ' arrival in September 1993 and subsequent expansion in the early 2000s. Southwest

600-566: A new airport on 3,200 acres (1,300 ha) to serve the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area began in 1944, just prior to the end of World War II , when the Baltimore Aviation Commission announced its decision that the best location to build a new airport would be on a 2,100-acre (850 ha) tract of land near Linthicum Heights, Maryland . The cost of building the airport was estimated at $ 9 million. The site

675-623: A passenger railroad franchise abandoned in 1935 by the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad Company . The Maryland PSC found that "the construction and operation of the SCMAGLEV between Washington, DC and Baltimore will result in substantial economic and social benefits to the State (of Maryland) and Baltimore and be consistent with the State's environmental laws and policies enacted or adopted to reduce harmful emissions for cleaner air and address

750-600: A significant role in investigating the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio , which occurred on February 3, 2023. The derailment involved a train carrying hazardous materials, and the FRA's investigation revealed that the primary cause was a failed journal bearing on one of the train's cars. The FRA also identified contributing factors, including inadequate communication protocols related to hotbox detectors and

825-457: Is intended to support operating costs for new, restored, or enhanced intercity passenger rail services. The program aims to improve the quality and accessibility of passenger rail, encouraging a shift towards more sustainable transportation options. In 2011, the FRA began the process of updating its electronic device policy for active train operators. In June 2015, the FRA announced a railway safety initiative with Google that would include

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900-498: Is located at the southeast terminus of Interstate 195 , a spur route providing connections to the Baltimore–Washington Parkway and Interstate 95 . The airport has a variety of parking options, ranging from a garage within walking distance to the concourses to remote parking lots that require shuttles to access. A light rail station , with service to downtown Baltimore and other locations via Baltimore Light RailLink,

975-560: Is located next to Concourse E. Amtrak and MARC trains regularly serve the BWI Rail Station , located on airport grounds but about a mile from the terminal, with free shuttle bus service connecting the destinations. Trains on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor , Acela and MARC's Penn Line stop at the station and proceed to destinations including Union Station in Washington, D.C. and Penn Station in Baltimore. Local buses that stop at

1050-527: Is one of ten agencies within DOT concerned with intermodal transportation . It operates through seven divisions under the offices of the Administrator and Deputy Administrator. These divisions are Financial Management and Administration, Chief Counsel, Civil Rights, Public Affairs, Public Engagement, Railroad Policy and Development, and Safety. It has a staff of about 850. All passenger and freight rail travel in

1125-570: Is one of three major airports that serve the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area . Dulles International Airport (IAD), in Dulles, Virginia , and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), in Crystal City, Virginia , are the other two. The airport serves as one of 12 U.S.-based operating bases for Southwest Airlines . In 2023, BWI recorded 12,849,636 passenger enplanements, making it

1200-457: Is the airport's largest carrier, accounting for 56.12% of the airport's passengers in 2011. Southwest Airlines currently serves on average 245 daily departures to the U.S., Mexico , and the Caribbean . In July 2000, Ghana Airways began service from BWI to Accra . The airline operated the flight with McDonnell Douglas DC-10s and sought to serve the many people of West African origin residing in

1275-689: The BWI Rail Station and BWI Rental Car Facility in the Stoney Run District, and the BWI Business District Light Rail Station , the NSA Friendship Annex , and dozens of hotel facilities in the West Nursery District. A U.S. Department of Homeland Security facility is located in the lower level of the main terminal, near the international arrivals area / Concourse E Baggage Claim. This facility also includes

1350-507: The Eastern Shore ) and Grantsville , Frostburg , Cumberland , Hancock , Hagerstown , and Frederick (for Western Maryland ). There are also numerous private car, rental car, and cab services, as well as shuttles that go to and from BWI to local hotels; Baltimore and Washington and their suburbs; and Central and Western Maryland. Some former ground transportation services have been discontinued, including bicycle-sharing system from

1425-474: The Federal Railroad Administration released an Alternatives Report that identified two alignments that run along Baltimore-Washington Parkway to be carried forward as part of the more detailed Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) assessment process. The DEIS is a detailed analysis of the remaining options as they compare to the baseline, which is a 'no-build' option. The Alternatives Report also identified multiple station locations to be considered as part of

1500-450: The U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Command , continue to have a significant presence at BWI. Over the first half of the 1990s, runway 15L/33R was extended 1,800 feet (550 m) from 3,199 ft (975 m) to its current length of 5,000 ft (1,500 m), allowing it to be used by small passenger jets like the Boeing 737 . Beginning in the 1980s and for much of the 1990s, BWI was

1575-770: The United States Department of Transportation . [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Archives and Records Administration . Baltimore%E2%80%93Washington International Airport Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport ( IATA : BWI , ICAO : KBWI , FAA LID : BWI ) is an international airport in Anne Arundel County, Maryland , located 9 mi (14 km) south of downtown Baltimore and 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Washington, D.C. BWI

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1650-595: The Washington metropolitan area , particularly Montgomery and Prince George's counties in suburban Maryland, the airport was renamed Baltimore/Washington International Airport . Its IATA code , originally BAL, was changed to BWI by the International Air Transport Association on April 20, 1980, and the change became official six months later, on October 26. The BWI code had previously been used by an airport in Bewani, Papua New Guinea . In 1974,

1725-467: The busiest airport in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area , ranked at #23 in passenger enplanements in the U.S., followed by Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (#24) and Washington/Dulles Int'l Airport (#26). In 2005, the airport was named in honor of Thurgood Marshall , a Baltimore native and the first African American to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice . Planning for

1800-608: The world record for fastest maglev train . JR Central is now extending its SCMAGLEV line, called the Chūō Shinkansen , to connect Tokyo and Nagoya , and ultimately Osaka. The line is planned to use a variation of the L0 Series that is used for the SCMAGLEV in Japan. Federal Railroad Administration The Federal Railroad Administration ( FRA ) is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). The agency

1875-437: The 13.3 mile BWI Trail travels through the park, providing cyclist and pedestrian access to the park. In addition to the Thomas A. Dixon Aircraft Observation Area, which provides spotters with views of aircraft landing on runway 33L, spotters can use one of several parking garages to view arrivals to runway 15R, with some arrivals appearing to be below the spotter. The Maryland Aviation Administration has its headquarters on

1950-552: The Accra flight nonstop and added a route to Lagos. North American ended all scheduled service in May 2008. In 2008, Health magazine named BWI the second-healthiest airport in the United States. In 2009 the airport had a six percent increase in air travelers due to the proliferation of discount flights. In a 2009 survey of airport service quality by Airports Council International, BWI was

2025-672: The Boston-based company Zagster and the Washington Metro's B30 bus, which was an express service to Greenbelt station . In 1985, the BWI Business District was established as a way to formalize businesses and hotels operating adjacent to the airport. The district comprises two smaller districts located to the north (West Nursery Hotel District) and west (Stoney Run District) of the airport. Numerous traveler resources and employment centers are located within both districts, such as

2100-521: The DEIS. In Baltimore, potential station locations include Cherry Hill in south Baltimore and a separate location closer to Baltimore's Inner Harbor at Camden Yards . Proposed stations in Washington, D.C., include locations below New York Avenue, to the west and east of Mt. Vernon Square. While two specific routes are under consideration for the line's first leg from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, routes from Baltimore to New York have yet to be designed. In all,

2175-554: The FRA citing "so that work does not have to be redone once the engineering inputs are finalized", in December 2019. The EIS was being prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, and other applicable regulations and procedures. Baltimore-Washington Rapid Rail is providing preliminary engineering and technical assistance as well as additional funding support, in concert with

2250-542: The FRA enforced through a series of regulations published two years later. These regulations include enforcement of PTC requirements and enforcement of more stringent conductor certification requirements. The FRA announced the availability of over $ 153 million in funding through the Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Grant Program in 2024. This funding, provided under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,

2325-550: The FRA enforces safety regulations, such as speed limits and requirements for safety features such as positive train control (PTC). Non-legislative recommendations for FRA policy come from the Rail Safety Advisory Committee , established in 1996, though much of FRA policy is created via congressional legislation; for example, the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 was an act of Congress , which

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2400-573: The FRA grant, for the NEPA process. In a Purpose and Need Statement, the NEPA Team for the SCMAGLEV Project, led by FRA and coordinated by MDOT, said the project's purpose was to increase capacity, reduce travel time, and improve both reliability and mobility options between Baltimore and Washington. "The population in the Baltimore-Washington area makes up one of the largest and densest population centers in

2475-487: The FRA is investigating the safety implications of longer trains, conducting system-wide safety audits, and issuing advisories to address potential risks. The FRA's ongoing efforts include collaborations with freight railroads to enhance safety through advanced technologies and stringent compliance with safety regulations. As freight rail operations continue to grow in complexity, both the FRA and railroad companies have worked on addressing new safety issues. The FRA played

2550-400: The FRA's GIS data in its mapping services. The data pinpoint the location of over 250,000 rail crossings in the United States. The FRA believes that providing the location of rail crossings on maps will enhance crossing safety for people who are using navigation systems while driving. The agency also created a web portal for the public to report blocked crossings in order to collect data on

2625-434: The FRA, particularly as the industry uses longer trains. Over the past decade, the FRA reported significant improvements in rail safety because of the railroad industry's investments in infrastructure, technology, and training. For example, the overall train accident rate has decreased by 27% since 2000, and the rate of hazardous materials accidents has reached its lowest point ever, down 75% per carload since 2000. However,

2700-501: The MDOT were preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential impacts of constructing and operating a high-speed superconducting magnetic levitation (SCMAGLEV) system between Washington, DC and Baltimore, Maryland with an intermediate stop at BWI Airport. That EIS was "temporarily" ceased, waiting for an "updated engineering input from Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail, the subsidiary of Baltimore-based Northeast Maglev" and

2775-639: The Maglev Deployment Program (MDP). In April 2015, acting on behalf of Baltimore–Washington Rapid Rail (BWRR), the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) submitted an application to FRA for the funds to perform preliminary engineering (PE) and National Environmental Policy Act ( NEPA ) work related to BWRR's SCMAGLEV proposal. In 2015, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) approved BWRR's application to acquire

2850-558: The Northeast Maglev is planned to have eight stops, including: The Northeast Maglev will use the SCMaglev superconducting maglev system developed by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). JR Central has been developing SCMAGLEV technology since 1962. The Japanese government fully approved the technology for passenger service in 2014, and JR Central began offering public rides on its Yamanashi test track that year. The train holds

2925-450: The United States on the national interconnected rail infrastructure is subject to regulation by the FRA. FRA regulates public and intercity rail services, but does not regulate "closed" railways that operate exclusively on private property, such as a rail system between buildings at a steel mill, nor does it regulate subways, light rail, or elevated intra-city passenger rail systems that do not connect to any public rail networks. Most notably,

3000-717: The United States. Over the next 30 years the population in the area is projected to increase by approximately 30 percent. Similarly, the demand on the transportation infrastructure between Baltimore and Washington will continue to increase..." The project has received endorsements of support from organizations including North America's Building Trades Unions, Greater Baltimore Urban League, Maryland State Conference NAACP and four of its local branches, and four Baltimore–Washington corridor chambers of commerce including Prince George's Chamber of Commerce, Northern Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce, Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce, and Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce. On June 9, 2020, it

3075-481: The airline ceased all flights out of Baltimore, attributing the cessation to heavy financial losses. In early 2016, a partnership between the airport and Towson University 's WTMD radio station was announced, including a new concert series that takes place at the terminal's baggage claim on the lower level. Local bands included Wye Oak and others. The new series followed the release event of Animal Collective 's new album Painting With on November 25, 2015, where

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3150-452: The airport at 12:01 am on July 23, 1950. Seven minutes later, the same plane was also the first flight to depart from the airport. Three hundred spectators came to watch the first flights arrive and depart. The Official Airline Guide reports 52 weekday departures from the airport as of April 1957: 19 Eastern , 12 Capital , 8 American , four National , three TWA , three United , two Delta , and one Allegheny . The departures included

3225-541: The airport terminal include the Maryland Transit Administration 's 75 route to Patapsco station on Light RailLink and Arundel Mills Mall, as well as route 201, which connects the airport to Shady Grove station on the Washington Metro . Passenger van service to and from the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland is available through BayRunner Shuttle with services to and from BWI to Kent Island , Easton , Cambridge , Salisbury , Ocean Pines , and Ocean City (for

3300-420: The airport was renamed Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport , to honor former U.S. Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall , a native of Baltimore . In June 2006, North American Airlines introduced a link to Accra via Banjul , The Gambia , marking the restoration of direct flights between Baltimore and Africa . The carrier employed Boeing 767s on the route. Afterward, it made

3375-786: The airport's international growth continued with the addition of a twice-weekly flight by Air Senegal to Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar , Senegal, via a stop in Kennedy International Airport in Queens , New York City. However, in January 2023, Air Senegal ceased the New York City to Baltimore portion of this route, dropping Baltimore back down to only two year-round transatlantic flights. In 2022, Play Airlines began daily nonstop flights from Baltimore to Reykjavík , Iceland, which

3450-455: The benefits a high-speed rail system would bring outweigh the costs for the system, claiming that the high-speed rail system would reduce car traffic and eliminate the need for short-haul flights. It would also reduce congestion in America's more populated regions and boost manufacturing activity. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of

3525-414: The causes of climate change," and that awarding a franchise to facilitate in development of the SCMAGLEV was "in the public convenience and necessity." In 2016, the FRA awarded $ 27.8 million to MDOT to prepare preliminary engineering and NEPA analysis for an SCMAGLEV train between Baltimore, MD, and Washington, DC, with an intermediate stop at Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport . The FRA and

3600-878: The company hired for the project) is expected to "transform the customer experience by adding a direct connection between concourses, expanding airline hold rooms, creating new food and retail concession spaces, enhancing restrooms, and introducing a new, fully in-line baggage handling system for Southwest." The project is estimated to cost $ 425 million and is expected to be fully completed in summer 2026. BWI Airport covers 3,160 acres (4.9 sq mi; 12.8 km ) of land and has three active runways: Baltimore/Washington International Airport has five concourses with 78 gates. Of these, 14 are international (all 11 gates in Concourse E are international gates, five of E's gates are arrival-only, and three gates in Concourse D are also international gates). The airport's cargo concourse covers

3675-420: The first phase of the airport's modernization was completed at a cost of $ 30 million. Upgrades included improved instrument landing capabilities and runway systems, and construction of three new air cargo terminals, expanding the airport's freight capacity to 2.53 acres (1.02 ha). In 1979, the terminal renovation program was completed, representing the most dramatic work of the airport's modernization, which

3750-586: The freight rail industry, leading the FRA to advocate for legislative changes and more rigorous oversight of rail operations. On July 23, 2024, FRA Administrator Amit Bose testified before a congressional hearing regarding the derailment. In his testimony, Bose emphasized the FRA's findings that the accident was caused by a failed roller bearing, compounded by inadequate communication and safety procedures within Norfolk Southern . He also called for stronger legislative action to enhance rail safety and criticized

3825-496: The implementation of PTC across nearly 60,000 route miles of track. Following three recent derailments of long trains, the FRA in July 2023 started requiring Class 1 railroads to provide monthly data tracking train length and tonnage. The specific concern is of trains with 1) more than 200 cars, 2) length of 12,250 feet or more, or 3) weight of more than 17,000 tons. The safety of rail freight transport has become an area of focus at

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3900-418: The implication for safety and economy of stopped trains blocking crossings. Citing safety concerns, in 2016 the FRA proposed a rule to mandate train crew sizes but the agency withdrew the rule in 2019 stating "that no regulation of train crew staffing is necessary or appropriate for railroad operations to be conducted safely at this time." This was in part due to the improving safety record for rail and also

3975-428: The increasing length of freight trains, some now stretching nearly three miles, has presented safety challenges. Issues such as the effectiveness of braking systems and the proper arrangement of train cars, known as "train makeup," are particularly critical in ensuring safe operations, especially under extreme conditions like steep grades or sharp curves. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recognized that

4050-463: The nation's infrastructure growing, the transportation used in the nation also needs to grow. With that in mind, the NRP's main goal is to increase the size of the nation's railway capacity to include 70 million more people and 2.8 billion tons more of freight within the next 25 years, and 100 million more people and 4 billion tons more of freight within the next 40 years. The NRP also looks to continue improving

4125-500: The new album was streamed throughout the airport. In late 2018, construction began on a $ 60 million, five-gate expansion of terminal A for Southwest Airlines . The new expansion began operations in 2021. 2018 also marked a new annual record for passenger traffic at BWI Marshall Airport with over 27.1 million passengers. In 2021, commuter airline Southern Airways Express ended its hub at BWI and switched its East Coast hub to Washington Dulles International Airport . In addition,

4200-551: The official plan could be drafted, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) required a Preliminary National Rail Plan (PNRP) to be made first, which was submitted to Congress on October 15, 2009. On December 16, 2009, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 was enacted into law and established the delivery date for the NRP. The delivery date for the NRP was September 15, 2010. With

4275-462: The project and a final EIS was never issued. The Northeast Maglev, LLC, was founded on March 25, 2010, to promote a revived effort to bring a maglev train to the Northeast Corridor . Baltimore-Washington Rapid Rail, LLC, was founded in October 2011 and is the developer of the Northeast Maglev's first leg from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore. In March 2015, the FRA issued notice of available funding under

4350-524: The rail systems safety. Another one of the NRP's big goals is the introduction of a high-speed train made for intercity travel. These trains would be much faster than normal trains, ranging in speed from 125–250 mph (200–400 km/h), and capable of delivering a passenger 500 miles (800 km) in about 2–3 hours. In smaller, regional areas, the trains would not be as quick, only going somewhere between 90–125 mph (145–201 km/h). There are no set costs for this system, however. The FRA argues that

4425-579: The railroad industry's resistance to adopting new safety measures, urging Congress to act swiftly to address these ongoing issues. The FRA's Northeast Corridor (NEC) Future is a long-term plan aimed at improving the nation's Northeast Corridor. The NEC Future plan consists of four components (also known as the Selective Alternative) that are: Improve rail service, Modernize NEC infrastructure, Expand rail capacity, and Study New Haven-to-Providence capacity. These four components all aim to improve

4500-588: The region. Four years later, in July 2004, the U.S. federal government prohibited Ghana Airways from flying to the U.S. According to officials, the company was operating on an expired license and had disobeyed orders to stop flying an unsafe plane. In 2005, to accommodate Southwest's extensive presence at the airport, Concourses A and B were expanded, renovated, and integrated with one another to house all of that airline's operations there for their major operating base. The new facility, designed by URS Corporation , opened on May 22, 2005. On October 1 of that year,

4575-664: The reliability and performance of the NEC system, whether it be through intercity or regional means. The Selective Alternative looks to do four major things: Improve rail service by increasing frequency of trains, decreasing travel time, and making better passenger convenience; Modernize NEC infrastructure by having corridor-wide repair and replacing and fixing parts to bring the entire system to increased reliability; Expand rail capacity by adding new infrastructure between cities and increasing train speeds and capacity; and Study New Haven to Providence capacity. The NEC Future ROD (Record of Decision)

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4650-437: The runway was a Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago Midway Airport , which arrived at 4:18 AM. In 2015, Norwegian Air Shuttle announced it would begin flights from the airport to Guadeloupe and Martinique . In an interview with The Baltimore Sun , Norwegian Air Shuttle CEO Bjorn Kjos said, "Baltimore is high on the list for long-haul destinations", hinting at further expansion into Europe. In mid-2018, however,

4725-437: The use of general-purpose tank cars for transporting flammable liquids, which exacerbated the severity of the incident. In response to the derailment, the FRA initiated several enforcement cases and called for more stringent safety regulations, particularly concerning the placement and operation of wayside detectors designed to identify overheating bearings. The investigation highlighted the need for enhanced safety measures in

4800-422: The world's top ranking airport in the 15-to-25-million-passenger category. BWI also ranked seventh, in medium-sized airports, based on customer satisfaction conducted by J.D. Power and Associates . On August 5, 2014, the airport's little-used runway, 04–22, was permanently closed. It was 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) long and used primarily when the main runways needed to be closed for repairs. The last operation on

4875-469: Was added, though Dulles continues to hold the lion's share of the region's international flights, and BWI has not attracted many long-haul international carriers. The first transatlantic nonstops were on World Airways about 1981; British Airways arrived at BWI a few years later. Aer Lingus , Air Jamaica , Air Aruba , Air Greenland , El Al , Icelandair , KLM , Air Canada, Ladeco , and Mexicana previously flew to BWI. Military flights, operated by

4950-431: Was announced. It has been described as the "largest capital project in the history of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport". This project includes major upgrades to the airports' Baggage Handling System as well as a renovation and expansion to the airports' A/B Connector, which will provide passengers with a direct connection between concourses A and B. The project (according to airport management as well as Clark Construction ,

5025-536: Was chosen because it was a 15-minute drive from Downtown Baltimore , close to the Pennsylvania Railroad line, the Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad line, and the proposed Baltimore–Washington Parkway , and visibility at the site was generally good. An alternate site along Gov. Ritchie Highway at Furnace Branch was rejected by the United States Department of War , and another possible site at Lipin's Corner

5100-509: Was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966. The purpose of the FRA is to promulgate and enforce rail safety regulations , administer railroad assistance programs, conduct research and development in support of improved railroad safety and national rail transportation policy, provide for the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor rail passenger service, and consolidate government support of rail transportation activities. The FRA

5175-517: Was deemed too far from Baltimore . The State Aviation Commission approved of the Linthicum Heights site in 1946. Much of the land was purchased from Friendship Methodist Church in 1946, and ground was broken on May 2, 1947. Friendship Methodist Church held its last service on Easter Sunday in 1948. Friendship Methodist Church was razed to make room for the new airport. In addition, several pieces of land were bought, and 170 bodies buried in

5250-467: Was designed by DMJM along with Peterson & Brickbauer. The renovations more than doubled the size of BWI's terminal to 14.58 acres (5.90 ha), and the number of gates increased from 20 to 27. The total cost was $ 70 million. To continue the work, the BWI Development Council was established to support initiatives for airport development. In 1980, the BWI Rail Station opened, providing

5325-801: Was equipped with a 9,450 foot (2,880 m) runway, which could handle any commercial jet aircraft at that time. In 1972, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) purchased Friendship International Airport from the City of Baltimore for $ 36 million. Under MDOT, the Maryland State Aviation Administration took over airfield operations, and the airport grew from three employees to more than 200. Plans to upgrade, improve, and modernize all Maryland airport facilities were announced almost immediately by Harry Hughes , then Maryland Secretary of Transportation and later Governor of Maryland . On November 16, 1973, in an effort to attract passengers from

5400-607: Was issued in July 2017, which marked the completion of the Tier 1 environmental review process. The ROD lays out everything involved with the project, including the plan itself and feedback from individuals, organizations, and stakeholders. There is no listed completion date for the NEC Future and Selective Alternative. The need for an NRP was brought up in the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 . However, before

5475-412: Was quickly followed a few weeks later by Icelandair also resuming flights from BWI to Reykjavík. On January 26, 2023, Copa Airlines announced they would start operating direct flights to Panama City , making it the first Central America -based airline to operate out of the airport. The flights began as scheduled in late June 2023. In October 2022, a proposed renovation and expansion to BWI Airport

5550-536: Was released that Northeast Maglev and B&O Railroad Museum created an alliance to bring educational support to the museum. The first leg of the Northeast Maglev would connect Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, with a stop at Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport . The first leg would be approximately 75 percent underground, and require a guideway (track) and three stations, a rolling stock storage depot, maintenance facility, power substations, ventilation plants, and an operations facility. In December 2018,

5625-407: Was taking his first aircraft flight. The cost to construct the airport totaled $ 15 million. The following month, the airlines moved to the new airport from the old Baltimore Municipal Airport at Harbor Field in southeast Baltimore at 39°15′N 76°32′W  /  39.25°N 76.53°W  / 39.25; -76.53 . Eastern Airlines flew the first scheduled flight, a DC-3 , into

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