New terminal at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport anticipated after 2030
May 8, 2024, 8:05 AM
Plans are in progress for a new terminal at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, but construction won't begin for at least several more years. (Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Photo)
(Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Photo)
PHOENIX — Plans are in progress for a new terminal at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, but construction won’t begin for at least several more years.
The terminal’s construction isn’t expected to start until after 2030, the city of Phoenix, which owns and operates the airport, announced Wednesday. The design work is underway, but planning and environmental preparation is a yearslong process.
The terminal is expected to be built on the west side of the airport, near where former Terminals 1 and 2 were located. Those terminals closed in 1990 and 2020, respectively, and have since been demolished.
The project will be financed through airport grants, bonds and passenger facility charges, without relying on tax dollars, the city said.
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Phoenix mayor unveils plans for Sky Harbor terminal expansion
Mayor Kate Gallego first mentioned the Sky Harbor expansion project during her State of the City address last month.
“Phoenix Sky Harbor is busier than ever, which is why we’ll soon need a new terminal to accommodate our growth,” Gallego said in a press release on Wednesday.
“To continue providing excellent customer experience at America’s Friendliest Airport, the Council and I are moving forward with plans to build a cutting-edge terminal at the airport’s west end. The new expansion is years in the making and I am looking forward to the continued work to turn our shared vision into reality.”
Plans for the new terminal are necessary after the airport saw a record 48.8 million passengers in 2023, with numbers expected to continue rising annually, officials said.
Other upgrades at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
The anticipated terminal is part of Phoenix Sky Harbor’s long-range Comprehensive Asset Management Plan first presented in 2019 as a 20-year plan.
The plan was revised in 2022, incorporating near-term goals. These goals include enhancing airfield efficiency by constructing a north/south taxiway on the airport’s west side, installing a new north concourse for Terminal 3, and establishing a post-security walkway between Terminals 3 and 4.
The projects are all underway.
“I am excited to see what the future will bring for Sky Harbor,” Phoenix Vice Mayor Debra Stark said in the release.
“As we look toward the construction of the new West Terminal, I will be focused on the things that already make our airport one of the best — its strong partnerships with our airlines, its accessibility for people with disabilities and its excellent local and national restaurants and stores.”
