iBlueYonder has recently released their upgraded rendition of Portland International Airport (KPDX) for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, bringing its ground layout and overall infrastructure up to 2025 standards.

The airport opened in 1936, replacing Portland’s Swan Island Municipal Airport, which was deemed too small and impossible to expand due to space constraints. The new project had a much larger area to work with and generated a greatly needed number of jobs, helping many families during the Great Depression. 

Employing over 1000 workers, the airport’s construction was said to be one of Portland’s most significant public works improvements during the New Deal era. It was not without its challenges, though: the airport’s low-lying area was highly susceptible to flooding due to its proximity to the Columbia River, which led to the workers having to cover the area with over 4 million cubic yards of sand to help drain the water, along with a series of dikes to keep flooding at bay.

By 1941, two runways capable of handling larger commercial aircraft were ready, and it temporarily served as a military airfield for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.

A new terminal opened in 1959, still serving as the present facility, albeit heavily upgraded. 

The terminal was first renovated in the 1980s, ensuring Portland was ready for future needs. Ticketing and baggage claim areas were expanded and renovated, and a new concourse was added in 1986. A full reconstruction of Concourse E in 1992 and the opening of Concourse D in 1994 followed.

New concourses (A, B, and C) were inaugurated a day before 9/11, giving its present H-shape.

Further terminal expansion was only carried out in the early 2020s (part of it was absent from iBlueYonder’s first rendition). Part of the new expansion work is still ongoing and scheduled to launch in late 2025, but the developer has already brought it to the virtual realm of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.

It’s a hub for Alaska Airlines and served by Air Canada Express, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, American Eagle, British Airways, Condor, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Icelandair, JetBlue, KLM, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, United Express, Volaris, and WestJet Encore.

The scenery features an accurate rendition of the airport, with an up-to-date ground layout, a highly detailed terminal building with full interiors, custom jetways, many new buildings and garages, custom ground service equipment, and a custom GSX Pro profile.

It’s available on Contrail for roughly $19.96, requiring at least 3.67 GB of free hard disk space to install.

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