Efforts to build a modern airport started shortly after World War II, when civic leaders realized that Toledo Municipal Airport (today's Toledo Executive Airport) was inadequate. A number of locations were proposed and discarded until 1952, when a consortium of six major Toledo companies – Libbey-Owens-Ford, Owens-Illinois, Owens-Corning Fiberglas, Champion Spark Plug, Electric Auto-Lite, and Willys-Overland – acquired the site of Toledo Express Airport west of Toledo and sold the land to the city at cost. The airport was dedicated on October 31, 1954, and officially named Toledo Express Airport the following day. It was to start its first commercial flight operations on January 5, 1955, but they were cancelled due to the weather conditions. The airport received nearly $3 million from the federal CARES Act during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money went to helping the airport upgrade facilities and continue normal operation during the pandemic's travel downturn. The airport received another safety grant in 2023, when it received nearly $5 million to enhance its safety and operations. The airlines moved to the new airport around the beginning of 1955; the April 1957 Official Airline Guide (OAG) lists thirteen weekday United Airlines departures, six Trans World Airlines (TWA), six Delta Air Lines flights, four Eastern Air Lines flights and four Capital Airlines services. The November 1979 OAG shows jets on seven airlines. Nonstop flights flew from Toledo to: Air Florida: Boeing 737-200 – Washington, D.C. National Airport Delta Air Lines: Boeing 727-200, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 – Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dayton Eastern Air Lines: Boeing 727-200, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 – Columbus and direct to Miami and Tampa Frontier Airlines (1950–1986): Boeing 737-200 – Detroit, MI and direct to Denver Trans World Airlines (TWA): Boeing 727-100, Boeing 727-200 – St. Louis. In 1986 TWA had one flight to Cleveland and onto New York JFK United Airlines: Boeing 727-100, Boeing 727-200, Boeing 737-200 – Chicago O'Hare Airport, Cleveland, Denver USAir: BAC One-Eleven, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 – Pittsburgh In 1979, the OAG shows Air Wisconsin and Comair at Toledo as independent commuter airlines, Air Wisconsin flying Fairchild Swearingen Metroliners nonstop to Chicago O'Hare and Detroit (DTW) while Comair Piper Navajos flew nonstop to Cincinnati. In February 1985, Piedmont Airlines (1948–1989) Boeing 727-200s flew to San Francisco (SFO) via Dayton, Ohio. On January 8, 1989, American Eagle Airlines, operating for American Airlines, began nonstop service to Chicago O'Hare with four daily flights. By December 1989, American Eagle had five nonstop weekday ATR-42s between Chicago and Toledo, while United Express, operated by Air Wisconsin, had four weekday round trips between Chicago and Toledo, three with Fokker F27s and one with a BAe 146-200. The OAG shows other airlines at Toledo at the end of 1989, including: Continental Express operated by Britt Airways: Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia – nonstop commuter turboprop service to Cleveland, OH (CLE) Continental Express' last flight, to CLE, was to end on March 1. 2001 Delta Air Lines: Boeing 727-200, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 – nonstop service to Atlanta, GA (ATL) and Fort Wayne, IN (FWA) Delta Connection operated by Comair: Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner – nonstop commuter turboprop service to Cincinnati, OH (CVG) On March 13, 2011, Delta Air Lines' last flight from Toledo, a Delta Connection CRJ flight to MSP, was operated. Northwest Airlines also operated from the airport until its acquisition by Delta.