8
TERMINALS  
November | December 2026      AirportImprovement.com
BUR
For Hollywood Burbank Airport 
(BUR), the new terminal that 
premiered on Oct. 13 is a 
production that was decades in the making. 
A $1.3 billion capital investment program 
known as ELEVATE BUR not only delivered 
a modern 355,000-square-foot terminal 
with upgraded passenger amenities and 
improved operational efficiency, it also 
added a new parking structure, an airline 
support facility and associated roadways. 
With neighboring Los Angeles hosting the 
NFL Super Bowl in February 2027 and the 
Summer Olympics in 2028, BUR is intent on 
welcoming visitors in true Hollywood fashion.
Executive Director 
John Hatanaka 
also describes the 
sweeping updates 
as a longtime safety 
project of the airport 
and Authority that 
addresses several 
deficiencies of 
previous facilities. 
The distance between the passenger 
terminal and nearest runway, formerly 
down to just 257 feet at times, is now 
about 880 feet and in full compliance with 
FAA standards. Inadequate object-free 
areas were also corrected. The previous 
terminal building, constructed in 1930, 
fell short of California’s current seismic 
requirements for building as well as federal 
accessibility standards outlined in the 
Americans with Disabilities Act. 
“There has always been a need and 
desire to replace the terminal with a facility 
that would meet [seismic] standards and 
increase safety margins at the airport,” 
Hatanaka notes. 
Beyond safety improvements, the 
new terminal situated in a new location 
JOHN HATANAKA
Hollywood Burbank Airport Replaces Historic 
Terminal with 21st Century SuccessorBY JODI RICHARDS 

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