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.?
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.
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.
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.
