Jim Gill, president and chief executive officer at Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), is the first to admit that he uses the word 'collaboration' a lot when talking about the Grand Rapids, MI, airport'especially its $45 million Gateway Transformation Project. But with $17 million of the total cost coming from private donations, it is difficult to find a better descriptor.
Curaçao International Airport (CUR), on the Dutch Caribbean Island of Curaçao, is in the home stretch of a $36.4 million expansion and renovation to increase its capacity from 1.6 million to 2.5 million passengers per year. The sweeping project will also update the terminal's look and improve operating efficiency for the growing number of tourists who visit the beach and scuba diving haven.
There is a lot of buzz about the 'customer experience' these days. Sometimes referred to as simply 'CX,' it has become the focal point of business plans and marketing strategies across a wide swath of industries. Everyone from chief executives to frontline foot soldiers is charged with making customer interactions exceptional, memorable and worth repeating.
Quebec City's Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) recently doubled the size of its terminal, made widespread technology upgrades and increased baggage handling capacity using an innovative project delivery method that had airport employees'not outside contractors'managing and coordinating all of the projects.
Prior to the Great Recession in the early 2000s, officials at Tucson International (TUS) were making plans to expand their aging two-concourse terminal to accommodate growing traffic. But as the economy took its toll on the airline industry by way of consolidation, they realized that expansion was no longer necessary at the origination/destination airport.
After decades of making periodic small changes, Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) in southeast Washington state 'ripped off the Band-Aid' and completed a $41.9 million renovation and expansion of its 1968 terminal.
'We couldn't just continue to do a little bit here and there,' says Airport Director Buck Taft, noting that no major improvements had been made since the 1980s. 'We didn't have enough gate space, concessions were in the wrong area because everything was obviously pre-9/11 design. Its useful life was over.?
Ronald Mathieu believes in three things regarding infrastructure projects: listening to customers, doing it right the first time and preparing for the future. As executive director of Bill and Hillary Clinton National (LIT), Mathieu stayed true to each of those core principals while overseeing $25 million of recent enhancements throughout the concourse of the Little Rock, AR, airport.
Philadelphia isn't only about the Liberty Bell and other key pieces of U.S. history. It's also the site of a new and innovative approach to airport design and concessions. In October, Philadelphia International (PHL) cut the ribbon on a completely renovated Terminal B and formally marked the end of its $48 million stem-to-stern overhaul.
After nearly two decades of preparatory projects and two radically different terminal designs, San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP) will finally get to cut the ribbon on its new $39.5 million terminal this November. At 56,000 square feet, the terminal is nearly five times larger than the airport's old facility. Passenger amenities include the airport's first airside concessions, a larger holdroom, free WiFi throughout the terminal, and 17 self-service check-in kiosks.
Like other airports in Canada's northernmost territory, Iqaluit International Airport (YFB) on Nunavut's Baffin Island plays a vital role connecting the region to the rest of the world. The airport's new 9,800-square-meter terminal, which opened in August, will also keep far-flung residents connected to one another, as it includes a central gathering space that will be used for local meetings and civic events as well as arrivals and departures.
Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) celebrated another milestone of its $2.7 billion Terminal Renewal & Improvement Program (TRIP) in January, with the completion of renovations in Terminal A. The $650 million Terminal A project kicked off in 2011 and, like the entire capital program, centered around improving the customer experience.
Los Angeles International (LAX) recently experienced a monumental shift that had nothing to do with seismic activity or regional fault lines. It was a self-induced shift to relocate Delta Air Lines that ultimately affected more than two dozen carriers.
