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AirportImprovement.com      November | December 2026
TERMINALS 
LBF
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The airport’s existing CEIS walkthrough metal detector with an 
explosives trace detection unit and ProVision2 Advanced Imaging 
Technology devices, both from Leidos, were relocated from the 
old terminal to the new one during a single day in August. Now, 
LBF’s prior bottlenecks are mere memories.
Environmental Approach
Airport leaders initially considered remodeling the terminal, but 
ultimately determined that would have been too costly, and 
likely would not have achieved the desired functionality for LBF’s 
10-person staff. 
Six years ago, the project team began preliminary planning 
for a new build, though how it would be financed was unclear. 
The North Platte Airport Authority fronted design costs so 
construction could move quickly once funding was identified. 
“If you really need something, you can’t just say, ‘I don’t have 
the money today,’” Gosnell explains. “You have to take a few 
risks, have a shovel-ready project and keep advocating for what 
your community needs.”
After Congress approved the Infrastructure Investment and 
Jobs Act in late 2021, LBF recognized that securing some of the 
newly available federal funds hinged on meeting certain criteria 
favored by FAA under the Biden administration. These included 
job creation—especially in rural areas like North Platte—and 
sustainable, resilient construction. 
The airport selected HDR, a global architecture, engineering, 
environmental and construction services firm, to guide project 
planning and help prepare its federal grant applications. 
HDR Project Manager Ryan Hanson notes 
that it wasn’t happenstance that sustainability 
and resilience, key tenets of the company’s 
approach, are widely evident at LBF. “We 
improved the project in order to be more 
competitive for these grant programs,” 
Hanson explains. “You’ll see the same 
amenities at North Platte as you would at a 
hub airport, just at a smaller scale.”         
With FAA scoring criteria in mind, HDR and airport leaders 
leaned heavily into enviro-friendly measures. A geothermal heating 
and cooling system facilitated by conducive local topography 
includes 60 wells drilled 400 feet below ground. The system 
circulates water back and forth to efficiently regulate temperatures 
within the terminal. 
RYAN HANSON

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