Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) is planning a new 60,000-square-foot international concourse, one of a series of major construction projects scheduled and underway as part of a $1 billion SDF Next capital improvement program.
The airport, which opened to passengers in 1947, currently only has an international cargo service.
The new concourse will include four dual-use aircraft bridges, allowing the gates to accommodate both domestic and international flights. Bidding is scheduled for November, and construction is expected to begin in January and take about three years to complete, according to the Louisville Regional Airport Authority.
“We’re confident that the day it opens we’ll have international service. That’s the demand there is,” said airport authority executive director Dan Mann, speaking to local WDRB-TV.
Launched in late 2019, SDF Next is a long-term modernization of the airport’s Jerry E. Abramson Terminal and airfield.
Among the biggest projects is a $45 million expansion of the terminal’s security checkpoint. Airport officials describe it as the most significant change to the terminal in more than 35 years. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2027. Abel Construction of Louisville is the contractor for the 30,000-square-foot terminal addition that will provide up to ten TSA screening lanes.
“We didn’t have enough control lanes for all the people that are trying to get through and we started experiencing some long backups,” Mann said.
Another investment involves adding $32 million to a microgrid designed to improve the airport’s electrical resilience. The centralized generator system will allow the airport to operate independently of the power grid when needed. Completion is scheduled for fall 2026. The general contractor is MAC Constructing and Excavating of New Albany, Ind.
A further $45 million is being invested in improvements to the post-security areas of Concourses A and B. The work includes improved signage and lighting, modernized gate waiting areas, additional charging stations and new airline podium stations at each gate. The lobby improvements are scheduled for completion in the fall of 2027. The contractor is Calhoun Construction.
E & B Paving is managing a $19.6 million project on the northeast portion of the airfield that includes the reconstruction of the D taxiway north of the L taxiway and the connected taxiways serving Runway 17L-35R. The work includes new pavement, asphalt sidewalks, improved airfield lighting and improved drainage. The project will also correct centerline separation issues between taxiways to meet current standards. Work includes paving, asphalt sidewalks, airfield lighting, drainage and geometry corrections. Completion is scheduled for fall 2026.
With E & B at the helm, the airport is also undertaking the $11.1 million second phase of its Taxiway B project on the northwest side of the airfield. The project covers Causeway B between Causeway B5 and Causeway F and includes new asphalt pavement and sidewalks, improved lighting and drainage improvements.
Work on Runway B will also modernize the geometry of the taxiway fillet to meet current Federal Aviation Administration standards. Construction began in the spring of 2026 and is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2026.
The airport had more than 4.8 million total passengers in 2024, marking the second year in a row that passenger traffic reached an all-time high, according to the airport authority.
