History and Timeline

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It has been nearly three decades since the creation of the Guam International Airport Authority (GIAA).

The Guam International Airport Authority was created as a government entity by public law which was authored by then-senator and former Lt. Governor Frank F. Blas, who now sits as the helm as Chairman of the GIAA Board of Directors. Prior to the enactment of P.O. 13-57, the airport business was handled as a division of the Department of Commerce until January 1976 when the Airport Authority took over terminal operations in the facility now known as the Commuter Terminal. At that time, the only three carriers using the facility and servicing Guam were Pan American Airways, Continental Air Micronesia and Japan Airlines.

Since then, GIAA has built two new terminal buildings. The first one, funded by $43M in revenue bonds was completed in 1982 and was referred to as the “white elephant” because most island leaders thought it would never reach capacity. However, within its fifth year of tenancy and operations, the first terminal was over-crowded and bursting at the seams with passengers.

The second and current terminal is the end product of a $241M expansion and construction project fully completed in September of 1998, making it the largest single capital improvement project ever completed on Guam.

Built with room to grow, the terminal today easily handles of 2.54 M passengers evident this past fiscal year. The facility consists of state-of-the-art equipment, an expansive concourse, twenty one (21) contact gates, an international food court and duty free shopping. It is expected to meet traffic demands up to the year 2010. Now in our 29th year, GIAA takes you through a timeline of significant events in our development.