14 TERMINALS May | June 2026 AirportImprovement.com YHU Oshkosh Striker 3000 trucks. An existing aircraft hangar was converted into a fire station, with garage space for vehicles, a decontamination room, rest areas, four dormitories, an office, a meeting room and a control room. Airfield improvements totaled approximately $30 million. Green Components Although YHU was already operating as an airport, Roberge categorizes the new commercial terminal as a greenfield project— full of opportunities to create a culture and operating environment built especially for passengers. Long-term environmental responsibility remained at the forefront of design and construction, he emphasizes. In addition to being a fully electric building with energy-saving technology, the terminal is constructed with sustainable materials and designed for improved operational efficiency to help lower the airport’s carbon footprint. YHU is also Airport Carbon Accreditation certified, and 95% of its vehicles are electric, with electric vehicle charging stations for public and airport use. Airside, the new closed-loop deicing system is designed to capture 100% of deicing fluid sprayed onto aircraft for recycling and reuse. Quieter, modern aircraft are expected to help reduce noise at YHU by 20%, despite a modest increase in flight activity. Currently, the airport logs about 350 daily operations. When the new terminal opens, that number is expected to increase by only 30 to 40. Planning and Construction After assessing existing infrastructure and completing a transparent development process that involved stakeholders and the community, the project team developed a business model to establish goals that would meet operational and community needs, including flight volume, passenger capacity and aircraft gauge. “There was a key decision made about what kind of airport we wanted,” Diamond explains. “We don’t have the ambition to be a major hub of connection for large carriers. It’s point-to- point travel.” Stakeholder and community support were critical to shaping development goals of the airport and moving the project forward, he adds. Airport officials consulted with elected officials, airport tenants, public transportation representatives, tourism agencies, community members and even those originally opposed to developing the airport. Each forum explored concerns and included information from specialists to cover traffic, access, noise management, air quality and other potentially thorny issues. Diamond describes the planning process as a collaborative effort. “Participants asked for items to put on the agenda,” he says. “It was really their forum.” Developing the airport as an economic asset was of interest to the community, but with conditions, Diamond emphasizes. Items at the top of that list included a ban on night operations, service by narrow-body aircraft and a focus on aerospace innovation. Even though the airport’s main runway is long enough to accommodate widebody aircraft, it was clear that was not what the community wanted. Thus, the new terminal is designed for narrow-body aircraft and connecting people from point to point. “We believe this is the future of aviation,” Diamond asserts. Based on passenger projections, YHU established a phased development plan to allow for flexibility as demand grows. Construction of the new terminal began in August 2023 and moved at a “very high pace,” he reports. Because the entire footprint of construction occurred landside, security constraints were less demanding than if crews had to work within the operating airport. “That is a huge advantage cost-wise and in terms of expediting the project,” Roberge notes. Internal and External Outreach Community engagement was and continues to be critical for ensuring that development at YHU is consistent with regional wants and needs. “We’ve put a lot of time, emphasis and effort to make sure that the population and elected officials are behind us,” Diamond says. “We’ve always been very transparent with them.” Building those relationships took years of attention, phone calls and meetings. “We’re not able to count the number of meetings that we’ve done in the last three years,” Diamond reflects. Having community representatives and stakeholders WE’RE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE OUR PARTNERSHIP HEADING TO AAAE? VISIT US AT BOOTH 323 TO SEE THE NEW COLLECTION
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