Airport designs have become more sleek over the years.
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Airport security was less restrictive before 9/11.
Today, passengers can use mobile apps and kiosks, not just paper documents.
Flight information used to be written on chalkboards at gates. Now, it's on screens.
Flying used to be a glamorous undertaking back in the day. But airports had their glory years, too.
New technology has helped airports run more efficiently, from digital air-traffic-control software to the ability to check in on a phone or kiosk. But other changes, like increased security screenings, have slowed things down.
Here are 30 photos that show how airports have evolved.
Airports have always drawn a crowd.
Heathrow Airport in 1978.
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Customers awaited their flights in the check-in area at Heathrow Airport in London in 1978.
Modern options like TSA PreCheck and CLEAR allow some passengers to skip long lines.
O'Hare International Airport in 2017.
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CLEAR, founded in 2010, uses fingerprints and eye scans to validate travelers' identities. TSA PreCheck, which allows passengers to keep their laptops and liquids in their bags and keep their shoes and light jackets on, was first introduced in 2013.
The ground floor of airports is where travel usually begins.
Gatwick Airport in 1966.
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Passengers lined up at the check-in counters at Gatwick Airport in 1966.
Some modern airports look more like art museums.
Suvarnabhumi International Airport in 2015.
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Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Thailand is flooded with natural light.
Gate agents once used old-school computers to check travelers in.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in 1981.
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Two women received help at a Continental Airlines counter at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minneapolis in 1981.
Today, travelers can check themselves in on kiosks.
Milan Malpensa Airport in 2017.
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A passenger used Alitalia self-service check-in kiosks at Milan Malpensa Airport in 2017.
There were no app shortcuts for air travel in the '90s — just paper boarding passes issued by humans.
Los Angeles International Airport in 1997.
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A passenger received his boarding passes for a flight to Vail, Colorado, at Los Angeles International Airport in 1997.
Gate agents still print paper boarding passes, but many people use e-tickets on their phones.
Miami International Airport in 2015.
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An airport worker held an iPhone over a scanner at Miami International Airport in 2015. It's one of many hacks to get through the airport faster.
Passengers used to be able to bring family and friends to the gate to see them off.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 1996.
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Passengers waited in line at the security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 1996.
After 9/11, only ticketed passengers were allowed through security to the gates.
Salt Lake City International Airport in 2001.
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Members of the Utah Air National Guard's 151st Security Forces Squadron stood guard days after September 11, 2001, as an added security measure at the Salt Lake City International Airport.
Airport announcements used to be made on chalkboards.
Gatwick Airport in 1977.
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Travelers waiting and resting before boarding the Skytrain at Gatwick Airport in 1977 looked to chalkboards for flight information.
Now they're on screens surrounded by advertisements.
Ben Gurion Airport in 2011.
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An arrival sign at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel in 2011 showed an array of arrivals and departures.
Airline lounges used to be the life of the party.
John F. Kennedy Airport in 2000.
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Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways, sang along with employees of Virgin Atlantic Airways in 2000 at the opening of his new clubhouse at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
Lounges today are sleek and professional.
John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2024.
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Chase opened two new airport lounges in New York's LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2024.
As long as there has been commercial air travel, there have been people in need of a drink.
Heston Aerodrome in 1933.
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This bar was located at Heston Aerodrome, an airfield just west of London that was in operation from 1929 to 1947.
Today, however, tablets have replaced bartenders in many airports.
Toronto Pearson International Airport in 2014.
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The Toronto Pearson International Airport is one of many airports where passengers can order food on tablets.
Flight attendants used to be referred to as "air hostesses."
"Air hostesses" circa 1950.
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Two "air hostesses" were photographed on an airport runway circa 1950.
Now, there are flight attendants of all genders.
Flight attendants in 2012.
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Flight attendants posed in 2012 in Berlin at the christening of the Airbus A380.
Arriving at the airport used to be a fashion statement.
Heathrow Airport in 1972.
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Travelers looked hip in sunglasses and mod gear at Heathrow Airport in London in 1972.
Air travel today is a more casual affair.
O'Hare International Airport in 2016.
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Passengers at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago waiting in line to be screened in 2016 didn't dress up for the occasion.
Radar systems were a cutting-edge form of technology for air traffic controllers.
Capital City Airport in 1979.
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An air traffic controller at Harrisburg's Capital City Airport monitored a newly installed radar system in 1979.
Air traffic control has since gone digital.
Air traffic control 2017.
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Air traffic controllers kept watch using Data Comm, which supplements voice communication between controllers and pilots with digital text-based messages, in 2017.
Metal detectors were introduced at airports in the 1970s.
An airport metal detector in 1971.
AP
Eastern Airlines debuted a new anti-hijacking device, a type three Friskem detector, in 1971.
X-ray machines and body scanners followed in subsequent years.
O'Hare Airport in 2010.
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An airline passenger went through a full-body scan at O'Hare Airport in Chicago in 2010.
Flight delays have always been a nuisance to travelers.
John F. Kennedy Airport in 1981.
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Travelers slept as they awaited the departure of their flights at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport in 1981.
Not much has changed there.
Sochi Airport in 2014.
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A passenger slept while waiting for a flight at the Sochi Airport following the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Back in the day, when a flight was canceled, the only choice was to wait in line to talk to a gate agent and hope for the best.
O'Hare International Airport in 1993.
AP
American Airlines gate agent supervisors helped passengers who were scheduled to depart on a canceled flight to Las Vegas from Chicago in 1993 in Chicago, at O'Hare International Airport.
Now, people can use their cell phones to make new arrangements.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in 2016.
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A woman talked on her cell phone with an agent as she stood in line after her flight was delayed at Washington's Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in 2016.
Perusing an airport gift shop was a great way to pass the time while waiting for a flight.
Kastrup Airport in 1959.
AP
Swedish screen actor Ingrid Bergman and her husband, Lars Schmidt, discussed the merits of a brooch in the gift shop at Kastrup Airport in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1959.
Some modern airports look more like malls.
Frankfurt International Airport in 2013.
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Duty-free shops at Frankfurt International Airport in 2013 would look at home in a shopping center.
Architect Radu Gidei previously told Business Insider that airports are designed to make a profit with lots of shopping between gates, not for efficiency.
