1 9 3 0 ▁by ▁D elta ▁Air ▁Service . ▁Later ▁those ▁two ▁air lines , ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁Eastern ▁Air ▁L ines ▁and ▁D elta ▁Air ▁L ines , ▁respectively , ▁would ▁both ▁use ▁Atlanta ▁as ▁their ▁chief ▁hub s . ▁The ▁air port ' s ▁weather ▁station ▁became ▁the ▁official ▁location ▁for ▁Atlanta ' s ▁weather ▁observations ▁September ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁and ▁records ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁We ather ▁Service . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁busy ▁air port ▁from ▁its ▁in ception ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁it ▁was ▁third ▁behind ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁and ▁Chicago ▁for ▁regular ▁daily ▁fl ights ▁with ▁six teen ▁arriv ing ▁and ▁depart ing . ▁( In ▁May ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁Atlanta ▁had ▁four ▁scheduled ▁depart ures .) ▁Cand ler ▁Field ' s ▁first ▁control ▁tower ▁opened ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁The ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁Official ▁A viation ▁Guide ▁shows ▁four teen ▁week day ▁air line ▁depart ures : ▁ten ▁Eastern ▁and ▁four ▁D elta . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁government ▁declared ▁it ▁a ▁military ▁air field ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁Air ▁Forces ▁operated ▁Atlanta ▁Army ▁Air field ▁joint ly ▁with ▁Cand ler ▁Field . ▁The ▁Air ▁Force ▁used ▁the ▁air port ▁primarily ▁to ▁service ▁many ▁types ▁of ▁trans ient ▁combat ▁aircraft . ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁the ▁air port ▁double d ▁in ▁size ▁and ▁set ▁a