New Salt Lake City International Opens
The $4 billion project is the first hub airport in the US in the 21st Century
The new Salt Lake City International Airport has opened, the first hub airport to be built in the US in the 21stcentury. Phase One, which opened today, includes the central terminal Delta Air Lines’ 900,000-square-foot Concourse A-west and the airline’s largest Sky Club.
The opening of Concourse B-west, which will be home to Alaska, American, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United airlines, is set for Oct 27.
Phase Two of the $4 billion project is scheduled to open in 2024.
Work on the new SLC airport began in July 2014. When completed, the new South terminal will house Delta’s second largest hub in a total of four million square feet of new space. In all, the facility is designed to serve 26 million passengers a year with a total of 78 gates. Two linear concourses connected via tunnel, replace the airport’s five existing concourses.
The new airport has been constructed with the goal of receiving LEED Gold certification, and connects with a new Utah Transit Authority TRAX light rail station at the terminal to make transit to downtown Salt Lake City even faster and more convenient.
A more efficient baggage-handling system accommodates luggage of all sizes and shapes so skis don’t need to be dropped off at a special counter. The new parking garage will have 3,600 parking stalls, doubling the current number, with a mobile app service to remind passengers where they parked their car. All rental car facilities will remain on site.
Dining options include existing eateries such as Market Street Grill, Cafe Rio, Smashburger and Squatters as well as newcomers like Fillings & Emulsions, Granato’s, Pago, Panera Bread, Silver Diner and Shake Shack. All restaurants will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. In addition, 29 retail stores are opening in the first phase, including Coach, Frye, King’s English, Hip & Humble and MAC.
“This day has been years in the making,” said Bill Wyatt, executive director of Salt Lake City Department of Airports. “To say we are excited to be here today is an understatement. After six years of construction and many more years of planning, we are proud to open the first new US hub airport in the 21st century.”
