Memphis International Airport (IATA:MEM,ICAO:KMEM,FAALID:MEM) is a civil–military airport located seven miles (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.
It is home to theFedEx Express global hub. Nonstop FedEx destinations from Memphis include cities across the continental United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and South America. The airport averages over 80 passenger flights per day.[2] The Memphis Air National Guard Base is located at the airport and houses the164th Airlift Wing of theTennessee Air National Guard, which operatesC-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft.
The Memphis airport was inaugurated in 1929. DuringWorld War II, it functioned as the base of the4th Ferrying Group. Ajet-age terminal opened in the 1960s. In 1973, Federal Express established its main hub at the airport. Memphis also served as a passenger hub from 1985 to 2013.Republic Airlines launched the hub and merged withNorthwest Airlines in 1986, and Northwest combined withDelta Air Lines in 2008. After the hub was dismantled, the airport downsized from three concourses to one. As of 2025, the facility is in the process of being renamed forFrederick W. Smith, founder of FedEx.
Memphis mayorWatkins Overton put together a commission in 1927 to establish an 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, as Memphis Municipal Airport.[3] The two-day dedication ceremony featured aerial stunts and the arrival of over 200 aircraft.[4][5] In its early years the airport had three hangars and a sod runway.Standard Oil of Louisiana built the terminal after securing the right to supply all of the airfield's oil and gasoline.[4] 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.[6] Three diagonal runways were paved in 1934.[7] In 1938, theWorks Progress Administration helped construct a new terminal building, which had three stories and anArt Deco design.[8][4] That year 31,000 passengers used the airport.[4]
After the United States enteredWorld War II, the city government leased the airfield to theWar Department in July 1942.[9] That December the headquarters of the4th Ferrying Group of the Army Air ForcesAir Transport Command shifted to the airport.[10] 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.[11] Personnel such as mechanics and engineers underwent training at the base and then traveled overseas.[12] Chicago and Southern's repair facilities at the airport were used to repair military planes. Commercial air service continued, though it was limited.[13] The ferrying group's postwar activities included moving planes off deactivated bases.[12] 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.[11][14] The ferrying group ceased operations in March 1947.[15] City officials reached an agreement with the federal government in January 1949 to regain control of the airfield.[9]
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.[13] The airport opened the firstair-cargo terminal in the country in February 1958.[16] The following year, passenger counts crossed one million.[4] In August 1960, the city received its first scheduled jet flight; Delta Air Lines started usingConvair 880s on its Chicago–Memphis–New Orleans route.[16][17] 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.[18]
Ticket lobby in 1973
In June 1963, a new terminal built for thejet age was dedicated, and the airport was rechristened Memphis Metropolitan Airport.[3][4] United Nations ambassadorAdlai Stevenson II spoke at the inauguration ceremony and replaced the ribbon cutting with a rocket launch.[4] The terminal was designed by the local firm Mann & Harrover and becameRoy Harrover's most famous work.[19][20] 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.[19] It opened to passengers in July and was part of an expansion project that also included acontrol tower and a north–south runway.[21][22]
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.[23] Expansion continued in the 1970s. A west concourse was added in 1974 and an east one the following year.[24][25] The airport constructed another north–south runway, a parking garage, and a road linking the terminal toInterstate 240. The central concourse was extended as well.[24] In 1988, the latter concourse was named B, the west one A, and the east one C.[26]
Air-cargo companyFederal Express moved its base to Memphis from Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1973.[27] Memphis was selected because of its temperate climate and location in the middle of the country.[28] The decision was credited with enabling the city to go from a river port of decreasing economic relevance to an important global distribution center.[27] 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.[28][29] Memphis became the busiest airport by cargo traffic worldwide in 1992.[3] By 2000, the hub processed over one million packages per night, and FedEx ran 150 daily flights from Memphis.[27]
Southern Airways developed a busy operation in Memphis. In 1979, the carrier merged with North Central Airlines to formRepublic Airlines, which expanded the Memphis operation into a hub in 1985.[30] Republic began the first international flight from Memphis to Puerto Vallarta in December 1985.[31][32] The following year, the company merged intoNorthwest Airlines, which maintained the hub.[3] Northwest lost money in Memphis and nearly closed the hub in 1993. The airline then worked on its local reputation and on-time record, and passenger counts began to rise.[33]
KLM, a partner of Northwest, launched the airport's first transatlantic passenger flight to Amsterdam in June 1995. To commemorate the occasion, the airline named theMcDonnell Douglas MD-11 operating the inaugural flightElvis 1 and gave each passenger gifts, among them a small bottle ofJack Daniel's whiskey.[34] In preparation for the flight, the airport had constructed a new customs facility.[35] In 1997, Northwest acquiredExpress Airlines I, a regional carrier that operated under theNorthwest Airlink brand, and shifted its headquarters to Memphis.[36] The airport served 11.8 million travelers in 2000.[37]
The Memphis–Shelby County Airport Authority expanded the facilities. The passenger terminal was enlarged five times between 1986 and 1999.[38] Northwest and the airport authority worked together on the fifth project. They added 15 gates to Concourse A for Express I's new 50-seatBombardier CRJs.[39][40] Other upgrades included a post-security corridor linking Concourses B and C, a new lounge, and faster ticket counters.[41][40] A third parallel runway opened in 1997.[42] Three years later, the middle runway was rebuilt and lengthened to 11,120 feet (3,390 m).[42][37] Dubbed the World Runway, it enabled KLM to take off from Memphis with a full cabin in hot conditions and FedEx to carry more cargo.[37]
Memphis was the smallest of Northwest Airlines' three domestic hubs.[39] The carrier utilized all the gates in Concourse B, as well as some in A and C.[43] As of 2004, it operated about 210 daily flights to more than 80 destinations. The airport had mainline flights to cities such as Boston and San Francisco. Northwest Airlink connected the hub to communities within Tennessee and across the South, like Baton Rouge and Chattanooga.[44] International destinations included three countries in North America and one in Europe.[45] Northwest offered a daily flight to Amsterdam; it had replaced KLM on the route in 2003.[46] The hub's network ranged from a flight to Tupelo, Mississippi, onSaab 340 turboprops to theDC-10 service to Amsterdam.[44]
Northwest was acquired byDelta Air Lines in 2008. Delta maintained Memphis as a hub, offering 240 flights per day in 2009.[47] However, due to high fuel costs, the company made Memphis subordinate to its hub inAtlanta. The airport's role changed to handling traffic that exceeded Atlanta's capacity, and flights were gradually scaled back.[48] Delta discontinued the Amsterdam link in September 2012; as the hub shrank, so did the amount of connecting traffic that supported the flight.[49] The following year,Pinnacle Airlines Corp. moved its headquarters out of the city. The holding company owned Pinnacle Airlines, formerly known as Express Airlines I.[50] Delta closed the hub in September 2013, decreasing the number of daily departures from 94 to 60. The carrier attributed its decision to limited local demand and the inefficiency of 50-seat regional jets.[30] The southern portion of Concourse A with its gates for CRJs was closed.[38] Another factor was the proximity of Memphis to Atlanta.[47]
The closure of the Delta hub resulted in several changes at the Memphis airport. Passenger traffic declined from eleven million in 2007 to four million in 2017. The terminal, with its three concourses and unoccupied gates, was too large.[51] In 2014, the Memphis–Shelby County Airport Authority announced a renovation of the airport that would involve modernizing Concourse B and mothballing the other two concourses.[52] On the other hand, airfares dropped and new low-cost airlines entered the market, such asSouthwest Airlines.[53] The airport continued to see a high level of cargo activity due to the FedEx hub. As of 2018, Memphis was the second-busiest cargo airport in the world.[51]
The refurbishment of Concourse B was completed in February 2022. The building features wider hallways and higher ceilings.[54] The southwest wing of the concourse was not renovated because of cost and a lack of need for the additional gates.[55] Work commenced on an expansion of the landside portion of the terminal in 2024.[56] The program includes tearing down Concourse A to make room for an administrative and baggage-inspection building.[57] Following the death ofFrederick W. Smith, founder of FedEx, in June 2025, the airport authority decided to rename the facility in his honor due to his contributions to the city of Memphis and the airport in particular. TheFederal Aviation Administration was working on implementing the change as of December 2025.[58]
The Memphis airport occupies 3,900 acres (1,600 ha) and has four concrete runways. There is one east–west runway, 9/27, and three parallel north–south runways designated 18C/36C, 18L/36R, and 18R/36L. 18C/36C is the longest at 11,120 feet (3,390 m).[59] The air traffic control tower was erected in 2011 and measures 336 feet (102 m).[60] In 2022, the airport opened a new consolidatedde-icing facility, which has a dedicated control tower and capacity for 12 wide-body planes.[61]
Memphis International Airport has one terminal with a Y-shaped concourse. There are 23 gates on the central stem and southeastern leg of the concourse.[54] All international flights that are notprecleared at the departure airport are processed on the southwestern leg.[62] The terminal was built in 1963, and by the 1970s it had three concourses.[24] The west concourse was labeled A, the middle one B, and the east one C.[26] As of 2013, the year that the Delta hub closed, the terminal had over 70 gates.[38] When the refurbished Concourse B began operations in 2022, all flights were consolidated there and the other two concourses closed.[54] The demolition of Concourse A started in 2025.[57]
FedEx Express maintains its world hub at the Memphis airport. The company refers to Memphis as its "Superhub".[63] Launched in 1973, the hub has sorting facilities, a cold-storage building, and a command center.[64][65] A separate control tower manages traffic to and from the ramp.[66] The hub is capable of sorting 484,000 shipments per hour and serves 250 daily flights, most of which operate between 10p.m. and 5a.m.[66][28] FedEx contributes the most toward the airport's operating costs, excluding those related to the passenger terminal.[38] In addition,United Parcel Service has had a regional hub at the airport since 1999.[67]
The passenger terminal can be accessed fromInterstate 240 via Plough Boulevard and Jim McGehee Parkway. It can also be reached via Winchester Road. The airport is served by theMemphis Area Transit Authority route 28 bus, which offers service to Hudson Transit Center indowntown Memphis, as well as Airways Transit Center.[68][69] 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.[70]
The Memphis Air National Guard Base, home to the 164th Airlift Wing, sits on the airport grounds. It was established in 1946. The base was initially situated on the north side of the airport and was adjacent to the FedEx hub.[137] In 2008, a new facility was constructed on the southeast side to handle theLockheed C-5 Galaxy and provide FedEx more space.[138] The guard unit began flying theBoeing C-17 Globemaster III in 2013.[139]
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.[140]
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.[141]
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.[144]
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.[145] 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.[146]
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.[147]
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.[148]
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).
^abDavis, Corey (July 8, 2025). "Memphis International Airport begins demolition of Concourse A: What's next for site?".The Commercial Appeal.ProQuest3228030244.
^Risher, Wayne (October 21, 2011). "FAA chief pushes jobs plan at dedication of Memphis air traffic control tower".The Commercial Appeal.ProQuest899290916.
^Strebig, Neil (October 30, 2024). "FedEx opens new sorting facility at Memphis World Hub: Here's a look inside".The Commercial Appeal.ProQuest3122295046.
^Garland, Max (September 29, 2020). "Vaccine shipping will test FedEx's cold chain".The Commercial Appeal.ProQuest2446905008.
^abRisher, Wayne (January 20, 2017). "FedEx starts $2.8 million renovation of airport control tower".The Commercial Appeal. p. 7A.
^Risher, Wayne (June 26, 2014). "Expansion by UPS will add 350 jobs".The Commercial Appeal. pp. 1A,3A.
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