Many of us who were born or lived in Corpus Christi before 1950 remember the original Corpus Christi airport……Cliff Maus Airport on Old Brownsville Road. It was more like a landing field than an airport with none of the amenities that we now expect at every modern airport.
Cliff Maus had served the city since 1929, but by the early 1950’s, it was apparent that the growing city would soon need a much larger and more modern airport.
RELATED STORY:
Corpus Christi's first airport
In September 1956, the city announced that Cliff Maus would be abandoned and a new airport built off Highway 44 near Clarkwood, just outside the city limits. Under a city agreement with the federal government, each would pay half the cost of a new airport.
The city immediately began purchasing the 1,824 acres needed for construction.
Groundbreaking for the $5.8 million airport took place on July 24, 1958. After two years of construction, the new Corpus Christi International Airport opened on August 6, 1960. World War I flying ace, Eddie Rickenbacker was on hand for the ribbon-cutting.
CC International was massive and modern compared to the old Cliff Maus Municipal Airport. Despite all that, for those of us who have used the airport since its opening in 1960, one has got to admit that it's come a long way since those early days. For years, there were only two departure gates. One walked out of the terminal and down a semi-outdoor breezeway to the departure building. If there was a nearby jet with its engines running, the walk was a memorable one!
When it was time for boarding, it was a walk out to the airplane in the heat, or cold, and/or rain and a climb up the stairs of the airplane. When meeting relatives or friends upon arrival there was always the customary photo in front of the Corpus Christi mural in the terminal. And, of course, in those days one could wait in the departure lounge with those about to board the planes.....up until the minute they went out the door to the airplane.
No metal detectors, no TSA, no embarrassment at being “pulled aside” for a more comprehensive check of your carry-on or your person!
By the mid-1990s, the city had outgrown the airport. In 1999, the city launched a $26 million project to completely rebuild and modernize the airport terminal. The changes required by the events of 9-11-2001 were also included in the rebuild.
When the rebuilding of the airport project was completed in November 2002, we had a modern-looking airport, with covered parking and some of the amenities of larger airports. The new, futuristic-looking terminal was intended to simulate ocean waves and create an open, airy feeling.
The architectural work was done by M. Arthur Gensler, Jr. and Associates. The inside was quite stunning and totally different from the old terminal.
In 2003, the FFA recognized the New Corpus Christi International Airport as "Airport of the Year".
Despite the often ridiculed nature of our relatively tiny airport, it's always so pleasant to return to its simplicity after going through the complex terminals in Atlanta, New York, and Chicago. Here, one gets off the plane, goes down the escalator, picks up luggage, and walks 50 feet to the exit, all in about 20 minutes.
Try doing that in Atlanta!
Robert Parks is a special contributor to KRIS 6 News. Parks was a history teacher at Carroll High School for 19 years and is now retired. His knowledge of Corpus Christi history makes him a unique expert in the subject.
