In January 1959, the Parkview Airport was constructed and opened to the public. It was the first commercial airport on the Emerald Coast, and had flights that served areas as far east as West Allis. By the 1970s, passengers had increased to coincide with the rapid growth of the Parkview region. City Council representatives decided that the airport was growing too big to handle, so they created a new commission to oversee the airport (the Hunter County Aviation Authority). The HCAA knew that the population of the Emerald Coast was rising, and so was demand. The airport was renamed in 1973 to Parkview-Emerald Coast Airport, to reflect the airport's demad has grown to the entire Emerald Coast, not just Parkview. By 1975, however, leaders knew a makeover would be needed.