The airport had been enlarged by the military during World War II, but in 1958 the City Aviation Department started planning to expand and modernize the airport.[1] In 1961, a new 145,000 square feet (13,500 m2) terminal opened off of Briley Parkway, west of runway 2L. 1961 also saw the first scheduled jets at Berry Field, American Airlines 720/720Bs. For the first time more than half a million people passed through the airport when the six airlines that served Nashville carried 532,790 passengers.