The latest news on airports globally, with updates on financing, infrastructure expansion and sustainability initiatives.
IATA Director General Willie Walsh is calling for “careful scrutiny” of London Heathrow Airport’s £49 billion ($65 billion) plan to build a third runway and expand terminal facilities. He also welcomed a rival third-runway proposal by Arora Group, the hotel and land management firm led by billionaire Surinder Arora. Both proposals promise an operational third runway by 2035. Arora is a major landowner at Heathrow, including operating four automobile parking facilities. Walsh said he was not making a “pre-judgment” on either proposal, both of which were submitted to the UK government on July 31. “Airlines look forward to reviewing both proposals in detail to be able to assess their merits, particularly their costs and consumer benefits,” he said in a statement. “The government’s decision on the way forward must be well-informed by the airlines who will ultimately be charged to use whatever is built.” Heathrow’s plan to build the third runway over the M25—requiring a section of the motorway to be lowered and a tunnel to be constructed for it to pass through—is controversial for its expected high cost, which airlines fear could lead to higher fees to operate at the hub. Heathrow said it would cost £21 billion to build a new 3,500-m (11,483-ft.) runway, including the construction work related to the M25. Arora said it could build a 2,800-m runway that would avoid going over the M25, enabling it to be delivered at a lower cost. The UK government has backed building the long-discussed third runway at Heathrow and will now review the proposals. “We applaud the government’s decision to support the UK’s global aspirations by advancing plans to expand Heathrow,” Walsh said. “This must not, however, come at any cost or make any assumption that the current operator is best placed to deliver the value that the UK’s economy will critically need for growth.” He added that Heathrow’s “performance should give pause for concern and careful scrutiny. It regularly fails to meet agreed service level standards.” Heathrow said its plan would enable 276,000 additional flights annually at the airport.
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) praised nine airlines for efforts “to reduce aircraft noise through voluntary operational and technical measures, as well as community engagement.” LAWA manages Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where airlines have been participating in the LAX Fly Quieter Program since 2020. “While airports cannot impose mandatory aircraft noise limits, the program recognizes airlines for following LAX noise abatement procedures, using quieter aircraft and taking voluntary noise-reduction measures where feasible,” LAWA said. For airlines with 100 or more average daily flights at LAX, LAWA cited United Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines for noise-mitigation efforts. For carriers with five to 99 daily flights, LAX cited Mexico’s Volaris, Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines. For airlines with four or fewer daily flights, LAWA pointed to Breeze Airways, Italy’s ITA Airways and Fiji Airways.
The international terminal at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, will be completely rebuilt, said Nigerian Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo. “The terminal will be stripped down to its structural frame and rebuilt to meet international standards,” he said. Total cost for the project will be NGN712.3 billion ($464 million), according to Keyamo.
Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) in central New York state completed work on a $28.4 million modernization program. The project added more than 4,000 ft.2 to the passenger terminal’s North Concourse, which handles around 40% of travelers moving through the airport. The program added more seating in the concourse and more concessions space. The project also upgraded SRY’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility, which now “meets the latest CBP standards and preserves the airport’s international designation, including its ability to handle both international passengers and cargo operations,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. The renovated CBP facility will allow for processing of 200 passengers per hour, the governor said. SYR handled more than 3 million passengers in 2024, up 5.2% year over year. The airport is served by American Airlines, Breeze Airways, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Sun Country Airlines and United Airlines.
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint was opened at a hotel connected to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), allowing passengers to proceed directly from the hotel to the airside area of the airport’s Terminal 1. The on-site TSA checkpoint at the InterContinental MSP Hotel enables passengers who have checked in online and have only carry-on bags to be screened at the hotel—which is connected to the airport—and enter the airport near gate C25.
San Diego International Airport (SAN) opened a new on-airport roadway it said will give drivers “faster, direct access to SAN.” The roadway, a new entrance to the airport, has no intersections or traffic lights. “The new three-lane roadway will provide an uninterrupted, high-capacity route directly to the airport’s Terminals 1 and 2,” SAN said. The roadway is part of the airport’s Terminal 1 redevelopment program.
Related Content
