Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport's new terminal: When it will be built and how big it will be
A new terminal is planned for the west side of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to prepare for increased demand for flights to and from the Valley.
Since Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced Sky Harbor will get a new terminal at her State of the City address on April 23, details about the planned terminal have been scant. But airport officials disclosed what might be on the way during a Phoenix City Council policy session on Tuesday, May 7.
They discussed why a new terminal is needed, how many gates it might have and what the timeframe for construction is expected to look like.
"We believe it's important to start this process now," said Chad Makovsky, Phoenix director of aviation services. "We can slow down our approach if we have another event (like the COVID-19 pandemic) that slows down our growth, but we can't get the time back if we don't start now."
Why Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport needs a new terminal
Airport officials point to significant growth in passenger and aircraft traffic in recent years, including a record 2023 when Sky Harbor welcomed 48.8 million passengers, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Makovsky told city officials that Sky Harbor now serves 144 national markets, also a record for the airport.
"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 statement released after the May 7 meeting.
“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.”
Airport staff said the gates at Sky Harbor's two existing terminals were designed to handle crowds for smaller planes than the ones that fly today. Terminal 4, where American Airlines and Southwest Airlines operate their flights, opened in 1990; Terminal 3 opened in 1979.
They estimated demand would exceed capacity in the existing terminals around 2038.
Where will the new Phoenix airport terminal be built?
Sky Harbor intends to develop the new terminal on the west side of the airport, near where the former Terminal 1, closed in 1990, and Terminal 2, closed in 2020, were located. Both terminals were demolished after their closures.
Documents show the new terminal is referred to as the West Terminal for now. Several people at the City Council meeting on Tuesday suggested that the new terminal be named for Lincoln J. Ragsdale, a longtime Phoenix civil rights advocate and Tuskegee Airman.
How many gates will the new Phoenix airport terminal have?
Sky Harbor staff said the West Terminal could have as few as 40 and as many as 60 gates, depending on the type of aircraft it will handle and the way the terminal is configured.
Will Phoenix get more international flights?
When Gallego announced the new terminal, she said it would have a new Customs facility that will handle tourists from around the world. That would better position Sky Harbor to receive more international travelers, potentially paving the way for new transatlantic and transpacific routes.
While Sky Harbor has a robust network of flights to Canada and Mexico, there’s only a handful of long-haul flights. When Air France begins nonstop service to Paris on May 23, it will become only the third European city with a nonstop route from Phoenix. American Airlines and British Airways fly to London; Condor Airlines flies to Frankfurt, Germany.
When discussing international flights in a previous interview with The Arizona Republic, Makovsky said other new routes being considered included Amsterdam and a second city in Germany, based on market research and data evaluating where Arizonans are traveling, he said.
Landing a route to Asia, a major priority for Gallego and Makovsky, would be a big win for Phoenix. Gallego traveled to South Korea, Japan and Taiwan in summer 2023, partly to advocate for new Asian air service.
When will the new Phoenix airport terminal be built?
Airport staff expects construction on the new terminal will begin in 2032.
Before construction, airport officials must submit plans for the terminal design, which will be done this year. That will be followed by an environmental review expected to run from 2025 to 2031.
Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: New Phoenix airport terminal: What it means for passengers