Home » It was 70 years ago today … that Blue Grass Airport opened

It was 70 years ago today … that Blue Grass Airport opened

blue grass airportSeventy years ago today, Blue Grass Airport — then Blue Grass Field — opened its airfield to the first commercial flight to Lexington, forever changing transportation in the Bluegrass.

On Oct. 13, 1946, Delta Air Lines flew a 21-passenger Douglas DC-3 from Atlanta to Lexington, en route to Cincinnati. This inaugural flight was met with excitement, and Lexington’s embrace of air service grew stronger with the addition of Eastern Air Lines, Piedmont Airlines and others.

Over the past 70 years Blue Grass Airport has witnessed the arrival of Olympia, the first horse to fly in to race at Keeneland in 1948, the landing of a British Airways SST Concorde in 1989, Air Force One carrying U.S. presidents and an Air Force F18 more recently, among other momentous arrivals and departures.

Today, Blue Grass Airport is serviced by four major airlines: Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, providing 18 non-stop destinations and connecting service to hundreds of locations worldwide. The Blue Grass Airport thanks you for supporting your regional airport, and is proud to serve you.