Chapter Three: Response to the Jet Age: Federal–Local Interaction and the Shaping of the Aviation Landscape

Abstract

The introduction of jet aircraft along with the rapid growth within the airline industry required expansion and modernization of the nation’s airport infrastructure. In this chapter, Bednarek explores the important roles played by both local and federal officials. Local officials often faced deciding whether to expand their existing airports or build new. The federal government provided important funding and also periodically turned surplus military bases over to local authorities. In the end, though, in determining exactly where and when new major airports would be established, the shaping of the aviation infrastructure remained a product of negotiation between federal and local officials, with local officials generally having the final word. Case studies include Omaha, Cincinnati and Dayton, Dallas and Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, and Austin.