Terminal improvements at Huntsville International Airport

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, there’s money available to airports to make improvements.

“We have some projects ready to go, and the total cost for all improvements is $51.5 million,” said Mary Swanstrom, public relations manager at Huntsville International Airport.

Huntsville International Airport submitted an application to receive funding to make improvements to its terminal facilities. Although many travelers would love to see more restaurants and concessions at the airport, Swanstrom said airport leaders are first focusing on projects that ensure all ADA guidelines are met.

So, what’s included in this $51.5 million price tag? Swanstrom said we could be getting new bathrooms, elevators, escalators, and seating.

“While it might not be as exciting to some to get new bathrooms and escalators, it is going to mean a lot to those who really need access...and it’s going to improve the overall passenger experience here at our airport,” Swanstrom said.

Some other projects include:

Concourse Tile Replacement
Permanent Service Animal Relief Area
Terminal Public Area Renovations
Shared Use Ticketing Renovations
Terminal and Concourse Mechanical Equipment Replacement

Right now there’s no timeline for when the airport will receive funding or how much it will receive. However, the changes would be coming at an important time for the airport. Passenger traffic is currently 72 percent of pre-covid numbers and continues to trend upwards.

“There’s a strategic master plan. It’s available on our website, so you can get a glimpse into the future of what’s going to be happening out here at our airport,” Swanstrom said. “Fortunately, we had these projects in the works and the planning had been done…we have elevations and drawings. So it was just a matter of having shovel ready projects when the bill came around.”

Aside from terminal improvements, travelers should also keep in mind that American’s nonstop service to Miami is coming back to Huntsville International Airport for the summer. That service starts on May 7. Breeze Airways is also expanding and adding a nonstop flight from Huntsville to Las Vegas starting Aug. 4.

Huntsville International Airport is a convenient hub that a lot of air cargo operators and freight forwarders use. In addition to the renovations coming late summer, Swanstrom said airport leaders are also planning to build an additional air cargo hangar.

“Air cargo is 23 percent ahead of last year, which is still a little bit below pre-covid, but it is continuing to trend upwards,” Swanstrom said.

The air cargo hangar will be more than 110,000 square feet, and the price tag is going to be about $17 million. It will be located on Wall Triana Highway, and leaders hope to begin work on it by the end of May.

Swanstrom said the leadership team at Huntsville International Airport is looking for employees in a number of areas. Those jobs are posted in the career section on flyhuntsville.com.