As Phoenix continues its relentless growth, two of its airports are racing to keep pace, with expansion projects that bet on the future of travel in the Valley. Phoenix Sky Harbor is laying down plans for a new concourse and even a brand new terminal, while Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport gets creative to flow with its own record numbers.
Phoenix Sky Harbor's expansion might seem like a flight of fancy through time, with its terminal additions set for completion a distant five years from now in 2027, as reported by ABC15. According to Jay DeWitt, Sky Harbor’s assistant aviation director and chief development officer, the terminal expansions are already past due. DeWitt said, "We need those gates yesterday." Yet as they approach maximum capacity in terminals 3 and 4, the airport is eyeing a new terminal's potential to the west, aiming to start construction around 2030.
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway is also seeking to accommodate its burgeoning travel demands. The airport has erected a temporary tension fabric structure to keep travelers moving smoothly amidst their terminal expansion. As told by McCarthy Building Companies, the facility maintains efficient travel with amenities such as Wi-Fi, a PA system, and seating for over 300. This band-aid solution will keep the doors open to the approximated 2 million annual travelers while the $28 million terminal expansion project is underway.
Yet the ambition out in the desert does not stop there; Gateway Airport is considering an even larger project to the east, an endeavor estimated in the $800 to $900 million range, as Ryan Smith, Gateway’s director of communications and government relations, revealed to ABC15.
