Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Will Build New Terminal To Meet Increasing Demand
Aviation News – Plans to develop a new terminal at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), dubbed America’s Friendliest Airport, have reportedly received the green light. Construction of the new facility will take place at the airport’s west end, catering to rising demand and the ability to handle more passengers.
It comes as PHX broke a record last year, as more than 48 million travelers passed through its two terminals. The trend continued into this year, with nearly four million passengers handled in January and over five million in March.
Moving forward
According to Business Traveler, the plans were approved by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego last week. The new terminal is expected to be designed with sustainability in mind, with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. It will also feature a new customs facility. In addition to Gallego’s announcement of the new facility, the mayor also broke the news about the formation of an Olympics committee that will organize events in Phoenix for the 2028 Olympic Games, which will be held in nearby Los Angeles.
Should the committee be successful in its bid, the new terminal will be essential as PHX will likely handle a portion of international traffic to and from the City of Angels for the games. The airport’s international travel has increased steadily over the years. Compared to five years ago, there are 22 additional international flights scheduled per week. The influx in flights have undoubtedly influenced PHX financially. Its economic impact is nearly $45 billion, which is an increase of 15% compared to 2016.
Records on records
The airport’s passenger numbers have continued improving, especially since the Super Bowl was hosted in Glendale, Arizona, last year. 2023 proved to be PHX’s busiest year in history, with around 48.8 million passengers recorded at the airport, which was up from its previous 2019 record of 46.3 million travelers. The momentum continued into the beginning of this year, with the airport experiencing over 3.9 million passengers in January alone.
Source: https://simpleflying.com/phoenix-sky-harbor-international-airport-new-terminal-plans/
