Airport History


The airport now known as Fort Wayne International Airport was originally named "Baer Field" as a World War II military base. The total cost of the airport in 1941 was $10 million.

During World War II more than 100,000 military personnel served at the airport. The military base was made up of more than 100 buildings. Many buildings have since been torn down to allow for parking lot expansion. Following the war, the federal government sold the airport to the city of Fort Wayne for one dollar. 

Click here for more detailed information about Baer Field during World War II.

The City renamed the airport "Fort Wayne Municipal Airport" in 1946. The Airport Authority changed the name again in 1991 to its current name of Fort Wayne International Airport. The Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority was created in 1985 by a law adopted by the Indiana General Assembly in Indianapolis. Community leaders wanted to create a governing body to operate the airport under higher industry standards while devoting energy into making the airport less dependent on tax dollars.

Since the Authority’s inception, Fort Wayne International Airport has undergone an aggressive improvements plan which included expansion of the terminal and parking areas, upgrades to the runways, and the creation of an Air Trade Center to promote economic development in Northeast Indiana.  As a result of FWACAA’s commitment to customer service, Fort Wayne International Airport was recognized by USA Today as one of the friendliest airports in the nation.