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AirportImprovement.com      November | December 2026
TERMINALS 
LBF
Automated exit lane equipment by 
dormakaba improves arriving passenger 
flow without tying up TSA officers who 
would have otherwise had to physically 
monitor the passageway. 
“This was a need,” Gosnell says of the 
terminal. “We went from something that was 
pieced together, that we made work, into 
something that was designed with a purpose.
“It brought a lot of things we always 
thought would be nice (and turned those 
ideas) into a reality.”
Given North Platte’s remote location, LBF 
is an aviation lifeline for many communities 
in the western half of the Cornhusker State. 
Speaking at the terminal’s grand opening, 
Gov. Jim Pillen described the project as an 
extraordinary investment for residents and 
visitors.
“(It) helps us change the narrative,” he 
told KNOP News. “Nebraska is no longer a 
flyover state. We are a fly-to state and it’s 
because of investments and it’s because of 
the people.”
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, who serves on 
the Senate Appropriations and Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation committees, 
played a pivotal role securing $21.8 million 
in federal funding, including $8 million 
through FAA’s Airport Terminals Program 
and $7 million through congressionally 
directed spending. She characterizes LBF’s 
new terminal as a positive result of local, 
state and federal collaboration.
Her Washington, D.C. colleague, U.S. 
Sen. Pete Ricketts, says airports like 
LBF connect communities and help grow 
Nebraska’s economy. “Travelers from 
across our state will benefit from 
these strategic investments in critical 
infrastructure,” he says.
FACTS&FIGURES 
Project: New Terminal 
Location: North Platte Regional Airport Lee Bird 
Field, in NE
Highlights: Updated TSA checkpoint & equipment; 
110-seat holdroom; passenger boarding bridge; 
upgraded restrooms & concessions; mothers’ room; 
indoor pet relief area; numerous energy-efficient 
features
Size: 24,000 sq. ft.
Cost: $29.6 million
Funding: $21.8 million through Bipartisan 
Infrastructure Law’s Airport Terminals Program 
& Congressionally Directed Spending
Timeline: Master plan update began in 2020; 
design work began in 2023; construction 
Oct. 2024 – Aug. 2026 
Engineering & Architecture: HDR
Subconsultants: BNP Associates;
Connico; Faith Group
Contractor: Sampson Construction
Checkpoint Screening Equipment: Smiths 
Detection 
Passenger Boarding Bridge: Oshkosh AeroTech
Automated Exit Lane Equipment: 
dormakaba 
HVAC Contractor: Midlands Mechanical
Timber Contractor: Timberlab
Photovoltaic Glass: Onyx Solar
Skylight Installation: Glass Edge Inc.
Well Drilling: K2 Construction
Air Carrier: SkyWest Airlines, operating 
as United Express
2025 Passengers: Approx. 30,000 

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