THEN AND NOW: 34 photos that show how airports have changed over the years

Talia LakritzJul 13, 2020, 22:49 IST

Checking in for a flight has changed.Mone/AP, Nuamfolio/Shutterstock

Airport security was less restrictive before September 11.
Boarding passes were paper documents issued by gate agents, but now passengers can use mobile apps and kiosks.
Flight information used to be written on chalkboards at gates.
Social distancing measures in the wake of the pandemic mean lines are a lot more spaced out.

Flying used to be a glamorous undertaking back in the day. But airports had their glory years, too.

New technology has helped airports run more efficiently, from digital air traffic control software to the ability to check in on a phone or kiosk. But other changes, like increased security screenings, have slowed things down.

Additional health screenings and social distancing measures due to the coronavirus pandemic have also changed the way airports look and function.

Here are 34 photos that show how airports have evolved.

The ground floor of airports is where travel usually begins.

1966. Stanley Sherman/Express/Getty Images

Some modern airports look more like art museums.

2015. Supavadee butradee/Shutterstock

Airports have always drawn a crowd.

1978. Duncan/Evening Standard/Getty Images

Traveling still involves a lot of waiting.

2016. Marius Dobilas/Shutterstock

Before the coronavirus pandemic, people packed tightly into lines.

An airport pre-coronavirus. Scott Olson / Getty Images

With new social distancing measures in place, lines and seating are more spaced out.

An airport with social distancing measures. Toby Melville/Reuters

Gate agents once used old-school computers to check travelers in.

1981. Mone/AP

But today travelers can check themselves in on kiosks.

2017. Sorbis/Shutterstock

There were no app shortcuts for air travel in the '90s — just paper boarding passes issued by humans.

1997. Frank Wiese/AP

Gate agents still print paper boarding passes, but many people use e-tickets on their phones.

2015. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Passengers used to be able to bring family and friends to the gate to see them off.

1996. Thomas Kienzle/AP

After 9/11, only ticketed passengers were allowed through security to the gates.

2001. Getty Images

Airport announcements used to be made on chalkboards.

1977. Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Now they're on screens surrounded by advertisements.

2011. Uriel Sinai/Getty Images

Airline lounges used to be the life of the party.

2000. George De Sota/Newsmakers

Lounges today are sleek and professional.

An airport lounge. Anton_Ivanov/Shutterstock

As long as there has been commercial air travel, there have been people in need of a drink.

1933. Fox Photos/Getty Images

Today, however, iPads have replaced bartenders in most airports.

2014. Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images

Flight attendants used to be referred to as "air hostesses."

Circa 1950. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Now, there are flight attendants of all genders.

2012. Adam Berry/Getty Images

Celebrities like The Beatles traveled in style.

1964. J. Wilds/Keystone/Getty Images

Famous people still look ridiculously put-together, even after a long flight.

2009. Getty/Junko Kimura

Arriving at the airport used to be a fashion statement.

1972. AP

Air travel today is a more casual affair.

2016. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Radar systems were a cutting-edge form of technology for air traffic controllers.

1979. Paul Vathis/AP

Air traffic control has since gone digital.

2017. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Metal detectors were introduced at airports in the 1970s.

1971. AP

X-ray machines and body scanners followed in subsequent years.

2010. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Flight delays have always been a thing.

1981. Frehm/AP

Not much has changed there.

2014. Darron Cummings/AP

But back in the day, when a flight was canceled, the only choice was to wait in line to talk to a gate agent and hope for the best.

1993. AP

Now, people can use their cell phones to make new arrangements.

2016. Carolyn Kaster/File/AP

Perusing an airport gift shop was a great way to pass the time while waiting for a flight.

1959. AP

Some airports today look more like malls.

2013. Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

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