Sky Harbor International Airport

View of new (center) and old (background) control tower (FindTheBest)    

Western Airlines delivery to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, 1972 (Goleta Air and Space Museum)

3400 East Sky Harbor Boulevard, Phoenix, AZ 85034

To many, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a quick getaway in the center of a large city that is easy to access. This airport is used as an airport and air carrier to transport people, equipment and services internationally (Aviation Week, 2011). It is a fast-growing airport where many (tourists, business people, and residents) fly in and out from. Founded in 1928, Phoenix Sky Harbor airport was just a small, ordinary transportation center that became large and important post-wars (Aviation Week, 2011).

During World War II, the War Department needed to locate four air training centers. These centers needed to be on flatlands on the east, west, and north end of the city. Four were built where they produced airplane parts and balloons. As manufacturing emerged, in 1942, an AiResearch plant was built at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport by Garrett Corporation. From then on out, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport kept expanding. After the Cold War, in 1947, the city of Phoenix became a huge attraction due to its weather, people, and businesses. The city became the largest center of trade. Due to this, the population increased up to sixty three percent since the 1940s (Konig, 1982).

Now, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is one of the nation’s five fastest-growing airports. With a great number of travelers from around the world, the airport’s structure creates difficulties with maintenance and keeping up with everything. In 2001, with the expanding business at the airport, proposals had to be made to go wireless, improve car rentals, open a third runway, improve employment centers, and to accommodate easier access through light rail (Balzer, 2001).

In September of 2010, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport became a new home of the United Service Organizations center (USO) for military members. USO is a non-profit group that offers support, entertainment, and comforts veterans, military members and their families at many different locations (Gersema, 2010).

With Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport being overly crowded and busy, the security, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) should be at top notch. In 2008, they faced not their only problem. TSA is in charged for securely and safely checking baggage and people as they cross a check-point. However, for ongoing days, TSA shutdown for four hours every night. This was allowing an open door for anything and anyone to get through. Airports face many dilemmas and get taken care as quickly as possible (Kaufman, 2008).

Due to past events, such as the 9/11 terrorists attacks, airport security has modified into top-notch “protectors”. Security was much more cautious and sort of fallen to practice differential racialization. Certain races would be “randomly” chosen for a body search. Around this time, it was those of Arab decent (Murphy, 2002).

- Yonas Moges and Deveron Carr


Sources


Balzer, S. (2001, Feb 16). Growth creates greater challenges across the board. The Business
Journal – Serving Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun. Retrieved November 28, 2011 from http://galenet.galegroup.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/servlet/BCRC?srchtp=adv&c=1&ste=31&tbst=tsVS&tab=2&aca=nwmg&bConts=2&RNN=A71019042&docNum=A71019042&locID=asuniv&finalAuth=true

Gersema, E. (2010, Sept 02). Sky Harbor land USO. Arizona Republic. Retrieved November
28, 2011 from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/docview/749696980/abstract

Kaufman, D. (2008, Jun 16). Security Risks at Sky Harbor. TelevisionWeek. Retrieved
November 28, 2011 from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/docview/203851170/abstract

Konig, M. (1982, Spring). Phoenix in the 1950s Urban Growth in the “Sunbelt”. Arizona and
the West 24:1, 19-38. Retrieved on November 28, 2011 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40169000

Murphy, S. Contemporary Practice of the United States relating to International Law. The
American Journal of International Law 96:1, 237-255. Retrieved November 28, 2011 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2686141

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (2011). Retrieved
November 28, 2011 from http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/WADProfileDashboard.do?parameter=showProfile&orgName=Phoenix%20Sky%20Harbor%20International%20Airport&orgid=15465