Dayton International Airport Renovation Completion Photos And Terminal Modernization Project

November 27, 2019

Photographing An Empty Dayton Airport Late At Night

Since I was little I have been traveling out of Dayton International Airport near Vandalia, Ohio. I’ve always been fascinated by airports and aviation. In 1987 I toured the old rectangular ATC air traffic control tower and terrace. It was absolutely amazing. As an adult, I still get joy out of dropping off and picking up people at airports.

Last night, after a year of working to get permission, I got to combine my love of aviation with my photography business. On November 19, 2019, I legally photographed the Dayton International Airport (DAY)! This post features the outside details of the Terminal Modernization Project and Dayton International Airport renovation.

Seeing as security at airports is a big deal, we informed security that I would be photographing the interior and exterior of the facility. I certainly didn’t want to get stopped and have to explain myself. I gave them a date and time for photography and had no trouble. It was a calm night after most of the flights had arrived. This enabled me to get plenty of shots with no one around.

I started on top of the new parking garage and got some really cool angles from there. Once I was at ground level, I photographed the entire front (south west facing) drop off and pick up zones. The rental car area was easy to photograph as well. I really like the purple and silver aesthetic that is going on outside.

I made my way into the ticketing area and down to baggage claim. Seeing literally no one at the airport was rather surreal. The pre-security area was all mine. I walked through determining what I wanted to shoot. Having time allowed me to get even better photos. International airport photography is something I really enjoy.

This was an incredible opportunity to photograph an empty pick up and drop off area, baggage claim, and ticketing desk area. I had plenty of time, and no one around. I could take my time photographing these areas. My next goal is to photograph airside operations to capture the great workers at DAY.

Messer Construction Led The Dayton International Airport Renovation

The Messer Construction company in Dayton, Ohio did a great job with this construction and updating of Dayton’s great airport! Messer Construction Company, 4801 Hempstead Station Drive, Dayton, OH 45429. Check out my other Dayton commercial photography. Lastly, thanks to the airport and Messer for the access!

Weeks later, Messer used some of my images, with permission, for some type of construction award submission. They wanted to use my images, which was an honor for me. For requests like this, I gladly provide images at no cost. For commercial purposes, I license my images. It still feels unreal that anyone wants to use any of my aviation photos. I love that!