By Rebekah Morris for AZBEX
Sky Harbor West Terminal will be massive… and won’t hit construction for at least 5-7 years.
In the recent State of the City address by Mayor Kate Gallego, much ado was made about the future West Terminal planned for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Planning for a new terminal is in its infancy and was initially described in the 2019 Comprehensive Asset Management Plan, which was updated in 2022.
According to a press release distributed this week, more than 48 million passengers used Sky Harbor in 2023, and passenger numbers continue to grow. As a result, the City says, a new terminal is necessary to meet passenger demand and maintain a high level of service.
The new terminal will be built on the west side of the Airport campus near where the former Terminals 1 and 2 were located. Terminal 1 closed in 1990 and Terminal 2 closed in 2020. Both were demolished. This will be the first new terminal construction since Terminal 4 opened in 1990.
Scope of West Terminal
The 2019 CAMP plan shows plans for the West Terminal are broken into two phases: a 500’ Phase I, which will allow for “35 narrowbody gate south concourses and a 260-foot-long Phase 2 to support 25 narrowbody gate north concourses.” A basement level will house baggage handling equipment and screening systems, along with significant space for mechanical, engineering and plumbing. Level one is planned for arrivals, with south and north curb access points. Level two will house security, which is a departure from Terminal 3 and 4 design. Level 3 will focus on departures, with north and south departure curbs.
A total of 475KSF of new passenger areas is noted in the CAMP document at a rough estimated cost of $700M in 2019 dollars, including both phases. It is safe to state that the cost of a new terminal has not decreased since the plan was released. According to various inflation calculators, the 2024 cost would be between $850M and $860M.
Environmental Impact Statement First
The first step is an Environmental Impact Statement study, which is anticipated to start this year. Based on the EIS durations for other significant airport projects, that process could take more than five years. Once the EIS is complete, the airport will issue solicitations for design and eventual construction teams. Planning and environmental preparation will take several years, and construction is not anticipated to begin until after 2030. The project will be funded with passenger facility charges, bonds and airport funding.
Additional Projects Beyond the West Terminal
There are several enabling projects that will occur before the new West Terminal is constructed. Sky Harbor Blvd. will need to be improved. A new Sky Train station will be required. Expansion of the North Cargo complex will be required.
At the 2024 ADOT DBE & Small Business Transportation EXPO earlier this week, City of Phoenix Deputy Aviation Director Candace Huff outlined more near-term projects, including:
- Taxiway U,
- Runway 7L Extension,
- Runway 25R Extension,
- 24th Street Overpass,
- Solar Canopies at 24th Street,
- T3N2 Concourse,
- North Airfield Utility Vault & Infield Paving,
- Taxiway A (A3-A4) Strengthening,
- T4 Infrastructure Improvements and
- West Hold Bay & Tracon Demolition.
Huff quipped. “An airport is just a big construction site where planes take off and land.”
How very true.
