Lambert-St. Louis International Airport has been the site of many contributions to the history of flight. In 1910, Theodore Roosevelt became the first United States President to fly in an airplane, taking off from St. Louis. In 1927, the City of St. Louis purchased the air field, making it the first municipally owned airport in the United States. In the 1920s, the airport was the first in the world to utilize an air traffic control system. In 1956, a new four-domed passenger terminal was constructed at the airport. The terminal’s design inspired later airport terminals at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport. That historic terminal still stands.
Today, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL) has two terminals. Terminal 2 is dedicated to Southwest Airlines departures. Terminal 1, with the historic four-domed design, handles all other departures across four concourses, A through D. All international flights arrive at Terminal 2, regardless of airline.
The St. Louis Airport is fully accessible to the disabled and wheelchair users. The airport is ADA compliant. Personal manual and powered wheelchairs may be taken to the gate and aircraft door. Handicap accessible restroom facilities are available on each terminal and concourse. For additional information on the accessibility of the STL airport, visit flystl.com.
All passengers, especially those with disabilities, should arrive at the airport for check-in at least one hour prior to the departure of their flight. If you will require a loaner wheelchair to traverse the airport and terminal or need another type of disability assistance, contact your airline directly. For more information, or to read frequently asked questions about air travel with a mobility disability, consult my Wheelchair Users’ Guide to Air Travel.
Should you require a wheelchair at the airport or any other type of assistance, contact your airline directly prior to travel.
Transportation to/from the Airport
Although several taxi firms advertise that they have wheelchair accessible vans with ramps or lifts, I have never been able to secure a taxi in St. Louis or from the airport. Several nearby hotels offer accessible shuttles, but the only accessible route to the city is via public transportation. Access to the city’s MetroLink trains is available at the airport. Each terminal is connected to a MetroLink station, accessed from the ticketing level. The train provides service to downtown St. Louis in roughly 30 minutes.
