Prop days and early jets: illustrating earlier days at SFO is this 1974 photograph of a Douglas DC-8-21 of United Airlines (N8005U).

Air cargo is the fastest-growing business segment at SFO. N643NW is a Northwest Cargo 747-249F(SCD) first operated by Flying Tiger Line as N808FT.

Belonging to Alberto Culver, a beauty product manufacturer, this Gulfstream IV is typical of the large number of business jets contributing to SFO’s position as the world’s 22nd busiest airport in terms of aircraft movements.

Prop days and early jets: illustrating earlier days at SFO is this 1965 photograph of a Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation of Flying Tiger Line (N173W)

PH-KCC, an MD-11 from KLM, taxies toward the Central Terminal as G-VTOP, a 747-4Q8 of Virgin Atlantic, pulls off runway 28R on arrival in San Francisco.

Symbolic of the importance of Pacific Rim countries in general - and China in particular - to SFO growth, a 747-4J6(M) of Air China pulls away from the gate at the North Terminal on September 24, 1999.