INDIANAPOLIS -- The first planes arrived at the Indianapolis International Airport's new terminal Tuesday night.

Nasty weather caused the festivities to be moved inside earlier in the day, but dozens of speakers talked about a new era in the city's transportation system.

"To borrow an Indiana, an Indianapolis racing phrase, in our view, Indianapolis has just lapped the competition when it comes to flying experience, and you should be very proud of that," said U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Thomas Barrett.

Airport officials pushed back the opening of the new $1 billion terminal by two weeks to coincide with Veteran's Day. The terminal will bear the name of World War I flying ace Harvey Weir Cook, whose descendants were at the dedication on Tuesday.

"We got a private tour of a couple of weeks ago and, oh man, I just got goose bumps walking through there. It is just magnificent," said Weir Cook's granddaughter, Margaret Locke.

The first commercial flight arrived at the new terminal after 8 p.m. The first departures will take place Wednesday morning.

Travelers Nostalgic, Excited About New Airport

Workers were deep in a monumental moving task Monday night from the old terminal to the new one.

Travelers and workers were nostalgic about the airport's past and excited about its future.

Airport workers were putting in 12-hour shifts to ensure that the transition from old to new is smooth.

"We have organized everybody in a situation room where senior management will be able to handle any difficulties that occur during the transition," said Bob Duncan, airport director.

The airport, which grew one concourse at a time over the past 50 years, is making way for a futuristic facility with wide open spaces.

Passengers who were catching evening flights on Monday reflected on a building they might not be in again.

"It's a little sad … leaving the old one because there's so many memories, but … it's time to move forward and the new terminal is very beautiful," said traveler Dawn Tragesser.

"I like it because it's easy for me to get back and forth, but we're in the modern day, so I've got to go with the modern day," said traveler D.K. Jones.

Not all businesses in the old terminal will move to the new one, but all businesses cleared out inventory in preparation for the move. There will be 50 vendors inside the new terminal.

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