Berry Field
Airfield Identification
June 1937 to present
United States of America
CITY: Nashville, TN
IATA/ICAO CODES: BNA / KBNA
COORDINATES: 36°08'N / 86°41'W
OTHER NAMES: Berry Field, Nashville International
Commando Operations
Berry Field opened in June 1937, replacing Sky Harbor airport in nearby Rutherford as Nashville's main airfield. The building phase lasted 2 years, beginning with the selection of a 137-ha site located along the Dixie Highway in 1935. Construction was a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. Berry Field consisted of a terminal building, two hangars, a 1,200-meter concrete runway and a flashing beacon. American and Eastern airlines were the first air carriers to serve the airfield, and within the first year 189,000 passengers had used the facilities.
During World War II, Berry Field was attached to Air Transport Command, becoming the headquarters of Domestic Wing's 4th Ferrying Group. The federal government added additional acreage for these military operations. In 1946, after the war ended, the military returned a 607-ha airport site to the city.
With the rapid growth of air transportation, Berry Field's facilities became obsolete, and in 1958, the City Aviation Department began plans to expand the airport. A new, passenger terminal opened in 1961, a year after the inaugural flight of Nashville's first jet-powered service. In 1963, the existing runway was extended by an additional 200 meters, and construction began on a new crosswind runway.
Today, as Nashville International Airport, Berry Field is one of the fastest growing airports in North America.
Units & operators based
Air Transport Command, Domestic Wing, 4th Ferrying Group