The latest news on airports globally, with updates on financing, infrastructure expansion and sustainability initiatives.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) in Texas broke ground on construction of a remote concourse that will add six new gates for narrowbody aircraft. Concourse M, which will cover 37,000 ft.2, will not be connected to the main Barbara Jordan Terminal, which has 34 gates. The airport aims to open the new concourse by 2028. Concourse M will “help maintain airline operations and passenger capacity while major construction projects continue across the airport campus,” AUS said. The airport plans to build a new major concourse with 26 gates, targeted for an early 2030s opening. AUS also plans to upgrade the existing Jordan Terminal. The total cost of the modernization program is estimated at $5 billion. Once all of the construction is completed, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines, the airport’s two leading carriers, will control a combined 33 of AUS’s 66 gates. The airport is served by 17 airlines. AUS handled 14.7 million passengers through the first eight months of 2026, up 4% year over year.
King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) in Jeddah opened Terminal 4, which has been built to handle 15 million passengers annually. A number of airlines have transferred operations at the airport to Terminal 4, including Akasa Air, AJet, Azerbaijan Airlines, Nesma Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, SalamAir, SyrianAir, Tunisair and Wizz Air. “The transfer of additional airlines will continue gradually in accordance with the terminal's transition plan,” the airport said. “This will contribute to redistributing operational traffic across the airport's facilities, enhancing its capacity." JED handled 53.4 million passengers in 2025, its highest-ever total.
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) reopened Runway 1R following a six-month closure, during which the runway’s surface was repaved. SFO also upgraded adjacent taxiways and lighting and painted new striping and markings. The closure of the runway—and the FAA simultaneously implementing a new arrival procedure that discontinued side-by-side approaches during clear weather—reduced the possible number of flights per hour from 54 to 36. The reopening of the Runway 1R is expected to raise the number of possible hourly flights to 45-48, according to SFO. “As a result, SFO expects a significantly reduced potential for delays when weather is not a factor,” the airport said.
Monterey International Airport (MTY) in Mexico will build an 8.7-megawatt solar park. Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte (OMA), which runs the airport, said 15,000 solar panels will be installed and MTY’s battery storage system will be “significantly” expanded. “This combination of large-scale solar generation and advanced energy storage positions MTY among the first airports in Mexico to advance toward energy independence based on renewable sources,” OMA said. The solar park will have the capacity to provide the equivalent of “electricity to [power] approximately 7,000 Mexican households for one year,” OMA added.
Tampa International Airport (TPA) started work on a $298.6 million upgrade of its checked baggage system. Around 25,000 ft. of new conveyor belts will be installed. TPA will also implement “cross-sorter” technology, which “will work with the conveyor belt system to provide the flexibility to deliver a bag from any ticket counter to any airside terminal, a function the current system is unable to perform,” the Florida airport said.
Gary/Chicago Airport (GYY) in Indiana broke ground on an $18.3 million air traffic control tower that will replace a 54-year-old tower. While no passenger airlines serve GYY, UPS Airlines operates cargo services and has leased facilities at the airport through 2040.
The Canadian government is spending $22.4 million to make upgrades at Kelowna International Airport (YLW) in British Columbia. The project includes constructing new water, sewer, stormwater, electrical and communications infrastructure. “The project will establish utility connections and infrastructure capacity to support future aerospace, aviation, logistics, advanced manufacturing, technology and training facilities,” YLW said.
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