Memphis International Airport (IATA:MEM,ICAO:KMEM,FAALID:MEM) is a civil-military airport located 7 mi (11 km) southeast ofdowntown Memphis inShelby County, Tennessee, United States. It is the primary international airport serving Memphis. It covers 3,900 acres (1,600 ha) and has four runways.[2][3]
It is home to theFedEx Express global hub, often referred to as theFedEx Superhub or simply theSuperhub,[4] which processes many of the company's packages.[5] Nonstop FedEx destinations from Memphis include cities across the continental United States, Canada, Europe, theMiddle East,Asia, andSouth America.
Memphis mayorWatkins Overton put together a commission in 1927 to establish a municipal airport. It was built on a 200-acre (81 ha) plot of farmland seven miles (11 km) from downtown Memphis and opened on June 14, 1929.[9] The two-day dedication ceremony featured aerial stunts and the arrival of over 200 aircraft.[10][11] In its early years the airport had three hangars and a sod runway.[10] In 1930, runway lights were installed after an aircraft landed in the Mississippi River because it could not find the airport at night.Robertson Aircraft Corporation, which would merge intoAmerican Airlines, was the first major airline to fly to Memphis, with routes to New Orleans and St. Louis. In June 1931, American Airlines commenced the first airmail service from Memphis.Chicago and Southern Air Lines was headquartered in the city from 1934 to 1936 and from 1940 to 1953, when it was acquired byDelta Air Lines. During the 1930s, Memphis figured on American's east–west route between New York and Los Angeles and on Chicago and Southern's north–south route linking Chicago to New Orleans.[12] In 1938, theWorks Progress Administration helped construct a new terminal building.[10][9] It had three stories and anArt Deco design.[13]
After the United States enteredWorld War II, the city government leased the airfield to theWar Department in July 1942.[14] That December the headquarters of the4th Ferrying Group of the Army Air ForcesAir Transport Command shifted to the airport.[15] The group was tasked with sending new aircraft overseas; pilots departed Memphis for South America and then flew over the South Atlantic Ocean to Africa.[16] Personnel such as mechanics and engineers underwent training at the base and then traveled overseas.[17] Chicago and Southern's repair facilities at the airport were used to repair military planes. Commercial air service continued, though it was limited.[18] The ferrying group's postwar activities included moving planes off deactivated bases.[17] For a period in 1946, Memphis served as headquarters for the Continental Division of the Air Transport Command, which oversaw the 4th Ferrying Group and ran scheduled flights for military personnel throughout the country.[16][19] The ferrying group ceased operations in March 1947.[20] City officials reached an agreement with the federal government in January 1949 to regain control of the airfield.[14]
Five trunk carriers flew to Memphis as of 1947, and two years later, a regional airline namedSouthern Airways launched operations with multi-stop service to Atlanta.[18] The airport opened the firstair-cargo terminal in the country in February 1958.[21] The following year, passenger counts crossed one million.[10] In August 1960, the city received its first scheduled jet flight;Delta Air Lines started usingConvair 880s on its Chicago–Memphis–New Orleans route.[21][22] TheUnited States Supreme Court inTurner v. City of Memphis ordered thedesegregation of the airport in 1962. Jesse Turner, an African-American banker andcivil rights activist, had filed the case after he was denied service in the main dining room of the restaurant.[23]
In June 1963, a new terminal built for thejet age was dedicated, and the airport was rechristened Memphis Metropolitan Airport.[9][10] United Nations ambassadorAdlai Stevenson II spoke at the inauguration ceremony and replaced the ribbon cutting with a rocket launch.[10] The terminal was designed by the local firm Mann & Harrover and becameRoy Harrover's most famous work.[24][25] It was one of the first airport terminals to have a two-level design where passengers boarded aircraft viajet bridges on the upper level and collected their luggage on the lower level. Another unique aspect of the structure was its columns resembling martini glasses.[24] It opened to passengers in July and was part of an expansion project that also included acontrol tower and a north–south runway.[26][27] In 1969, the Memphis–Shelby County Airport Authority was formed, and the facility changed its name to Memphis International Airport after being designated a customs port of origin.[28] Expansion continued in the 1970s with the construction of east and west subterminals, another north–south runway, and a parking garage.[29][30] The central concourse was extended as well.[31]
Air-cargo companyFederal Express moved its base to Memphis from Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1973.[32] Memphis was selected because of its temperate climate and location in the middle of the country.[33] The decision was credited with enabling the city to go from a river port of decreasing economic relevance to an important global distribution center.[32] To accommodate the company's rapid growth and larger aircraft, a "superhub" facility opened in 1981, featuring new methods of handling freight containers and high-speed conveyor belts operated by a computer system.[33][34] Memphis became the busiest airport by cargo traffic worldwide in 1992.[9] By 2000, the hub processed over one million packages per night, and FedEx ran 150 daily flights from Memphis.[32]
Southern Airways was an important regional carrier at Memphis in the 1960s; it merged intoRepublic Airlines in 1979 as the first large merger after the passage of theAirline Deregulation Act. With the dismantling of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) flight approval requirements, airlines began developing around a large hub model as opposed to the former point-to-point networks that were common before deregulation.Republic Airlines established Memphis as a hub operation in 1985 and began flights to Mexico in 1985–86. The company merged intoNorthwest Airlines in 1986.[35] Northwest operated around 300 daily flights at the peak of the hub, including international flights to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.[36]
KLM, a partner of Northwest, launched the airport's first transatlantic passenger flight toAmsterdam Airport Schiphol in June 1995. The airline usedMcDonnell Douglas MD-11 on the route.[37][38] In preparation for the flight, the airport had constructed a customs facility that cost $12.6 million.[39] In 2003, Northwest began flying the route instead, initially with aMcDonnell Douglas DC-10-30, and later with anAirbus A330.[40]
Northwest was acquired byDelta Air Lines (which operates a large hub inAtlanta) in 2008. Delta maintained Memphis as a hub, flying as many as 200 flights per day in 2009.[41] However, the carrier discontinued the Amsterdam link in September 2012 due to high fuel prices, diminished passenger numbers, and economic challenges.[42][43] Delta continued to scale back its operations at Memphis before closing the hub in 2013.[41] Passenger traffic at the airport declined for the next several years until it bottomed out at 3.5 million in 2015.
In 2014, the Memphis–Shelby County Airport Authority announced a planned $114 million renovation of the airport. This renovation included demolishing the largely vacant south ends of Concourses A and C, mothballing the remaining portions and widening and modernizing the larger Concourse B. The renovation, which was expected to start in late 2015 and end around 2020, would have left the airport with about 60 gates.[44]
The initial project was only partly completed, with the south end of Concourse A demolished. Memphis officials decided to rethink the plans; several aspects of the project changed. The plan had called for renovating and widening Concourse B, the updated plan included a full redesign of most of the concourse. Concourse B was closed during construction, and airlines and tenants moved to Concourses A and C during that time. The southwest leg of Concourse B will be updated in a future phase, and will only be utilized in the near term for passengers from inbound international flights.[45] The modernization began in September 2018 and was completed in February 2022.[46]
In November 2022, Memphis opened its new $309 million consolidatedde-icing facility located at the southern edge of the airport. It has capacity for 12 wide-body planes and included the construction of two new taxiway bridges and a control tower.[47]
In 2023, the south end of Concourse C was demolished.
In October 2022, the Airport Authority revealed their revised master plan, including expansion of the landside portion of the terminal, expanding space for parking and car rentals, and runway expansions.[48] Terminal construction will begin in summer of 2024.[49]
Following the death ofFred W. Smith, founder of FedEx, on June 21, 2025, the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority proposed to rename the airport "Frederick W. Smith International Airport" due to his vast contributions to the city of Memphis and the airport in particular. As of June 23, 2025, it is not clear when the renaming would take effect.[50]
Memphis International Airport has one terminal with 23 common use gates and 2 international gates.[51] The terminal previously had three concourses (A, B, C) with over 60 gates.[52] Concourse A will be demolished in 2025 to make room for a new administrative and baggage inspection building.[53] Concourse C is currently closed to public. All international flights that aren'tprecleared at the departure airport are processed on the southwestern leg of Concourse B.[54]
Memphis International Airport's passenger terminal can be accessed fromInterstate 240 via Plough Blvd and Jim McGehee Pkwy. It can also be accessed via Winchester Rd.
The Ground Transportation Center, completed in March 2013, contains the airport's economy parking and parking for allcar rental companies. It is seven stories tall and features 4,500 economy parking spaces and 1,200 rental car spaces.[57]
On August 12, 1944, aUSAAFDouglas C-47 caught fire after takeoff after one of the propeller blades cut through the fuselage, causing a fire on the runway. All except the captain got out safely.[87]
On December 17, 1944, aUSAAFDouglas C-47 drifted to the right after takeoff, stalled and hit a brick storehouse. Three out of the six on board died.[88]
On May 18, 1978, aDassault Falcon 20 C operated by Flight Safety International collided with aCessna 150 3.8 miles west of MEM, all four occupants on the Falcon and two aboard the Cessna died as both aircraft crashed.[91]
On August 11, 1984,Douglas C-47 N70003 of Aviation Enterprises crashed shortly after takeoff from Memphis International Airport on a domestic nonscheduled passenger flight toO'Hare International Airport, Chicago. All three people on board died.[92] A missing spark plug on the port engine caused a loss of power. Maintenance involving the removal of the spark plugs had been performed the previous day.[93]
On October 8, 1987, aVolpar Turboliner II operated byConnie Kalitta Services crashed while attempting to return to MEM due to an attached tail stand. The aircraft was overweight and the cg (Center of Gravity) was three inches forward of the limit. The sole occupant died.[94]
On April 7, 1994,Federal Express Flight 705 bound forSan Jose, California, experienced an attempted hijacking shortly after takeoff. FedEx employee Auburn Calloway tried to hijack the plane in order to crash it into the FedEx hub at Memphis International, in aKamikaze-style attack. The crew—although seriously injured—fought him off and returned to Memphis, where police and emergency crews subdued him.
On October 15, 2002, aNorthwest AirlinesAvro RJ 85 collided with thejetway at gate C2 while taxiing for a maintenance check. The mechanics were unable to slow the aircraft down in time. Due to their error, the aircraft suffered minor damage, but the number one engine was ripped almost entirely off, and the jetway. The aircraft was eventually torn apart and set in a field near the airport.[95]
On December 18, 2003,FedEx Express Flight 647 veered off the runway after the landing gear collapsed upon landing. The flight had departedOakland International Airport (OAK) earlier that day. The aircraft was immediately engulfed in flames. All five crew members escaped by exiting via the cockpit window.
On July 28, 2006,FedEx Flight 630's landing gear collapsed upon landing at Memphis International Airport after a flight fromSeattle–Tacoma International Airport. After coming to a stop, the plane caught fire, engulfing the left wing and engine. While the three crew members sustained injuries, they all survived. The aircraft was written off.
^Ortlepp 2017, pp. 20–21 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFOrtlepp2017 (help)
^abGray, Robert (January 27, 1949). "Memphis will profit by about $2,135,000 in return of airport".The Commercial Appeal. pp. 1,2.
^Carruth, John (December 18, 1942). "Out of the veil of secrecy emerges new air headquarters at airport".The Commercial Appeal. p. 17.
^abTalley, Robert (July 28, 1946). "America's largest airline, with headquarters here, proves to be 'big business'".The Commercial Appeal. p. 10 (Section IV).
^ab"Ferrying group here to continue service".The Commercial Appeal. January 13, 1946. p. 9 (Section I).
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Aircraft photos from Memphis International (MEM) atairliners.net
Media related toMemphis International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
