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Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is a major airport serving the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. region.
History and Airport Code
- BWI was originally Friendship International Airport and used the code BAL for Baltimore.
- Before Washington Dulles opened in 1962, large jets for the DC area used Baltimore.
- When the airport wanted to market itself as Baltimore Washington International, it sought the code BWI, but that code was already assigned to Bewani Airport in Papua New Guinea.
- The U.S. government obtained the BWI code from Papua New Guinea in exchange for granting Air Niugini route authority to fly to Hawaii.
- Air Niugini no longer serves Honolulu, while Bewani Airport now uses the code BWP.
Recent Airline Operations
- Southwest Airlines considers BWI one of its largest East Coast bases and has focused operations there after ending service at Washington Dulles.
- United Airlines has been expanding at Dulles, benefiting from Southwest’s exit, while BWI remains a key hub for Southwest.
- In 2024 Southwest announced a new international partnership with Icelandair that will launch through BWI in 2025.
- JetBlue restored service to BWI in summer 2022 with up to five daily flights to Boston.
Airport Incidents and Operational Disruptions
- On March 13, 2026 the FAA temporarily halted flights at BWI due to a chemical odor that affected air traffic controllers, issuing a ground stop that began at 4:51 PM and was expected to last until at least 7:00 PM.
- In July 2019 the TSA confiscated a missile launcher from a passenger’s checked luggage at BWI, noting the device was not live and was turned over to the state fire marshal.
Amenities for Travelers
- As of October 2022 BWI offered a Priority Pass restaurant, Harbor Grille, located in Concourse C and accessible to both American Airlines and Southwest passengers, though the restaurant later ceased participation in the program.
Overall, BWI’s unique code history, strategic airline partnerships, and occasional operational challenges make it a distinctive gateway for travelers in the Mid‑Atlantic.
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