Salt Lake City, UT–Today at 4:00 a.m., the Salt Lake City Department of Airports (SLCDA) turned the key and opened the first phase of The New SLC Airport. As the lights dimmed on the existing airport, the lights brightened on a new parking garage, gateway center, central terminal and Concourse A-west. Delta Air Lines will occupy the 25 gates in Concourse A-west, including six international gates. In six weeks—on Oct. 27—Concourse B-west will open with 20 gates for Alaska, American, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United airlines.
“This day has been years in the making,” said Bill Wyatt, SLCDA executive director, “To say we are excited to be here today is an understatement. After six years of construction and many more years of planning, we are proud to open the first new U.S. hub airport in the 21st Century,” Wyatt added.
The need to build a new SLC airport became apparent as passenger numbers grew and facilities became outdated. Prior to the pandemic, SLC recorded more than 26 million passengers in 2019, in an airport that was built for 10 million passengers.
The advantages of building an entirely new airport is that the architects were able to design for the future to create a more efficient and more sustainable facility. The new concourses are designed in a parallel configuration—compared to the current pier layout—which will eliminate aircraft bottlenecks and idling, so airlines are able to get their planes to the gate and back in the air quicker.
SLCDA also built the new facilities with LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in mind. The airport achieved this certification through a variety of ways, such as converting all airline ground service equipment to electric. Plus, the use of natural light will also help to achieve the airport’s energy goals.
Additional highlights of the $4.1 billion airport include the following:
The New SLC will provide passengers with an entirely new experience compared to the previous airport from curb to gate. For more information, go to slcairport.com/thenewslc/
Fairbanks International Airport Baggage Transport Conveyor Enhanced With Mod Drive™ System
Airports face a host of unique industry challenges, such as meeting efficiency regulations and seeking out the best maintenance practices to reduce costs and keep operations flowing. In today’s current economic climate, any potential cost savings can go a long way.
In 2019, Alaska’s Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) sought to modernize its equipment and operations. They were dissatisfied with the performance of the gearmotors on their baggage transport conveyors and began searching for new suppliers. Regal approached FAI with a solution that could improve equipment performance and simplify maintenance, with the added benefit of energy cost savings: the Hub City® MOD Drive™ system.
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