Cape Cod Gateway Airport

Cape Cod Gateway Airport originated in 1928 when Charles Ayling and his son Robertson bought the “Tip Top Farm” from George W. Wagoner, a 57-acre property that featured a densely wooded area. The area had to be cleared (plowed, rolled, and seeded), and work on the airport began that March with the help of engineer George Clements. The first landing was on June 17th of that year, with the pilot was none other than Alton Sherman, who, in 1939, would become the airport’s manager (a position he held for 25 years). Within a year, the runway (which was grass) was lengthened, and on July 2nd, 1931, scheduled air service began with five passengers flying to Boston on the first plane. By 1937 roughly four planes were landing per day during the summer season. The Cape Cod School of Aeronautics, Inc. opened in 1939. During the buildup to WWII in 1940, the federal Works Progress Administration program improved the airport for use by the military. The airport had three runways (at 4,000 feet each). The Army used the base to fly antisubmarine recon flights. In 1943 the base came under the control of the Navy (named the Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Hyannis), and it was used for training bomber pilots.
In 1946 the airport was again used for civilian flights and was returned to the town of Barnstable the following year. In 1957 a new terminal was constructed, and Runway 6/24 was extended to 5,600 feet. In 1961 a new air traffic control tower was built. Scheduled passenger jet service began in 1969 through Northeast Airlines (although it was subsequently acquired by Delta Air Lines and ceased operations by 1970). As such, the airport was mainly served by commuters and regional airlines from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. An Engineered Material Arresting System was installed in 2001, which functions at the end of the runway to slow down and stop planes. In 2011-2012 the old tower and terminal building were demolished, and a new terminal building and tower were constructed as part of a $40 million improvement program.

The airport is located one mile north of the central business district of Hyannis. 

• One of the bomber pilots who trained on the Naval Base during WWII was future President George H.W. Bush. 
• There are three FBOs at the airport: Rectrix Aviation, Air Cape Cod, and Griffin Avionics. 
• The airport's official name, Boardman/Polando Field, was given out of reverence of Massachusetts aviation pioneers Russell Boardman and John Polando, the first aviators in history to fly 5,000 miles non-stop (the name was given in 1981, 50 years after the accomplishment). 
• The airport was renamed Cape Cod Gateway Airport on January 1st, 2021, in order to provide better name recognition, as only some people from off-Cod are familiar with the Town of Barnstable.