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.
Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK), located in the picturesque and growing Flint Hills region of Kansas, cut the ribbon on its new terminal early this year. More than triple the size of the old facility, the new 42,000-square-foot building emerged from the footprint of the existing terminal in an unusual manner. The airport essentially cut its existing terminal in half, and then demolished, rebuilt and expanded each half during separate phases-while maintaining operations the entire time.
The city of Austin, TX, has been expanding rapidly for the past several years, with no discernable end in sight. Last year, its population grew by 2.9% (nearly 60,000 people) and forecasters predict that the city will reach the 3 million mark before 2030. As of this March, Austin was home to more than 2 million residents.
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) recently put the finishing touches on its $127 million Wingspan project, the largest capital improvement initiative ever undertaken at the South Carolina airport. In essence, GSP completely rebuilt its terminal from the ground up, expanding from 225,000 to 375,000 square feet.
For years, Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) faced a problem many airports would relish: too much passenger demand. Now, BOS can accommodate three of the world's largest passenger jets simultaneously, and plans are set to add more gates in a few years. The fix, a $168 million expansion and renovation to Terminal E, debuted in late January.
Passengers traveling through Terminal 3 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) are getting through check-in faster, navigating the TSA screening process more easily and relishing new views of the desert and city-and more improvements are on the horizon.
After 10 years of planning and negotiating and building, Williamson County Airport Authority recently cut the ribbon on its new terminal. To honor local veterans, it changed the name of the entire facility from Williamson County Regional Airport to Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois (MWA) and named the terminal after a local World War II flying ace and former airport authority chair. Fittingly, MWA dedicated the new Captain Robert W. Duncan Airline Terminal on Veterans Day (2016).
