Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (IATA: BHM) is the main commercial airport for Birmingham, Alabama. Its original structure was dedicated on May 31, 1931, when American Airways began mail and passenger service, and it served 3,090,604 passengers in 2019.[1] The airport has been known as Birmingham International Airport since 1993 and carries its present name since 2008.[1]

History

The airport’s original structure was dedicated on May 31, 1931, and American Airways started mail and passenger service the same day. In 1986 the Birmingham City Council established the Birmingham Airport Authority, when the airport had 38 daily flights; by 1988 departures rose to 65 a day and about 1.9 million passengers used the airport each year.[1] A $50.4 million terminal renovation was finished in 1993, and on October 20, 1993, the airport was renamed Birmingham International Airport after it added service to Mexico and Canada.[1]

Growth and renaming

Passenger traffic peaked at 3,067,777 in 2000, fell after the September 11, 2001, attacks and set a record of 3.2 million in 2005. On July 16, 2008, the Airport Authority board approved renaming the airport Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in honor of the Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, a Birmingham minister and activist.[1]

New terminal and recent years

Construction on a new terminal began in 2011 and was completed in 2014, nearly doubling the airport’s footprint. The airport received LEED Gold certification in 2016 and began ride-share service that year, Frontier Airlines began service in 2018-2019, and in 2020 the Airport Authority restructured its revenue bond debt, which it expects to save more than $33 million in interest and leave the airport debt-free by 2031, its centennial year.[1] Birmingham is also served by the airports described in the Encyclopedia of Alabama’s overview of airports in the state; see also Birmingham and Huntsville International Airport.

Opening and names

The airport opened May 31, 1931, with a single east-west runway, as Birmingham Municipal Airport, became Birmingham International Airport on October 20, 1993, and was renamed on July 16, 2008, for Fred Shuttlesworth, founding president of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.[2]

Traffic and facilities

About 3.28 million passengers used it in 2025, making it Alabama’s busiest airport. Runway 6/24 is 12,007 feet and Runway 18/36 is 7,099 feet, on 2,170 acres at 650 feet elevation. One terminal has three concourses; A and B opened in March 2013 and C in August 2014 as part of a 1.6 million renovation.[2]

Airlines

American, American Eagle, Delta, Delta Connection, Southwest, United Express and Breeze Airways serve the airport, with Delta flying to Atlanta and Detroit and Southwest to ten cities including Baltimore, Chicago Midway, Denver, Orlando and Tampa.[2]

FAQs

Who is the airport named after? The Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, honored by the 2008 renaming.

When did the current terminal open? Construction began in 2011 and was completed in 2014.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport
2. Wikipedia: Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue