Memphis International Airport is home to FedEx Express's global "SuperHub," which processes a significant portion of the freight carrier's packages. Because of FedEx's hub, as well as the presence of United Parcel Service's third-largest sorting facility, Memphis has the largest cargo operations of any airport worldwide.

Nonstop FedEx destinations from Memphis include scores of cities across the continental U.S., plus Anchorage and Honolulu, as well as numerous Canadian, Mexican, and Caribbean cities. Intercontinental nonstops include Paris, London, Frankfurt, Sao Paulo, and Tokyo.

Northwest Airlines operates its third-largest passenger hub in Memphis, with routes to destinations throughout North America, as well as a daily nonstop flight to Amsterdam. Northwest is reportedly considering introducing a nonstop flight to its Asian hub at Tokyo's Narita International Airport after taking delivery of Boeing's new 787 aircraft.

History

Memphis Municipal Airport, 1962, photographed from the then-new control tower.Memphis Municipal Airport opened on a 200 acre (0.8 km²) plot of farmland just over seven miles (10 km) from downtown Memphis. During its early years, the airport consisted of three hangars and an unpaved runway. Passenger and air mail service was provided by American Airways and Chicago and Southern Air Lines. In 1939, four new carriers won route awards to serve Memphis: Braniff Airways, Capital Airlines, Eastern Air Lines, and Southern Airways.

The current terminal was built in 1963, and Memphis Municipal changed its name to Memphis International in 1969. However, the airport had no non-stop international routes until 1995, when KLM began service to Amsterdam, a service now operated by Northwest Airlines.

FedEx Express established its freight hub in Memphis in 1973, and Republic Airlines established a passenger hub in 1985, which was absorbed into Northwest in 1986.

Facilities and aircraft
Memphis International Airport covers an area of 3,900 acres (1,578 ha) which contains four paved runways:

Runway 18C/36C: 11,120 x 150 ft. (3,389 x 46 m), Surface: Concrete
Runway 18L/36R: 9,000 x 150 ft. (2,743 x 46 m), Surface: Concrete
Runway 18R/36L: 9,320 x 150 ft. (2,841 x 46 m), Surface: Concrete
Runway 9/27: 8,946 x 150 ft. (2,727 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 392,883 aircraft operations, an average of 1,076 per day: 57% scheduled commercial, 34% air taxi, 9% general aviation and <1% military. There are 110 aircraft based at this airport: 46% jet, 26% multi-engine, 19% single-engine and 8% military.

The Tennessee Air National Guard operates the 164th Airlift Wing at the Memphis International Airport.

Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center is located on the airport grounds at 3229 Democrat Road, 38118.

Airlines and destinations
Memphis International Airport has three concourses which are all connected as part of the same building. Passengers check in at signs marked Terminal A, B, or C which generally but do not necessarily represent the concourse where they will be directed for their gate.

Concourse A
Delta Air Lines (Atlanta)
Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)
Delta Connection operated by Comair (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky)
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Atlanta)
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlink operated by Compass Airlines (Boston, Newark, Omaha, Phoenix, San Antonio)
Northwest Airlink operated by Mesaba Airlines (Atlanta, Alexandria, Blountville/Tri-Cities, Chattanooga, Evansville, Fort Smith, Greenville (MS), Hattiesburg/Laurel, Lafayette, Lexington, Milwaukee, Monroe, Muscle Shoals, Paducah, Tupelo)
Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Birmingham (AL), Charleston (SC), Charlotte, Chattanooga, Cleveland, Columbia (SC), Columbus (OH), Colorado Springs [begins June 15], Dallas/Fort Worth, Des Moines, Detroit, Evansville, Fayetteville (AR), Fort Myers, Fort Smith, Grand Rapids, Greensboro/High Point, Greenville (SC), Hartford [begins June 5], Houston-Intercontinental, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Jackson, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Lexington, Louisville, Madison, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Mobile, Moline/Quad Cities, Montgomery, Norfolk [begins May 2], Oklahoma City, Omaha, Panama City (FL), Pensacola, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, San Antonio, Savannah, Shreveport, Springfield (MO), Tallahassee, Toronto-Pearson, Tulsa, Wichita)

Concourse B - Northwest Airlines
Concourse BNorthwest Airlines (Amsterdam, Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Baton Rouge, Birmingham (AL), Cancún, Chicago-O'Hare, Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Cozumel [seasonal], Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Walton Beach/Valparaiso, Gulfport/Biloxi, Houston-Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montego Bay, Nashville, New Orleans, New York-LaGuardia, Newark, Omaha, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Francisco [seasonal], San Diego [seasonal, begins May 2], San Juan, Seattle/Tacoma, Tampa, Washington-Reagan)
Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines (See Concourse A)