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Dive Brief:
- Soon the teams will start working on one Billion dollar upgrade at Miami International Airport, according to an announcement by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom.
- According to the announcement, the three-level D60 gate expansion will create 17 new aircraft gates and adjacent passenger boarding areas.
- The work is part of the $9 billion MIA Plan, a 10-year capital improvement program focused on modernizing Miami International Airport. Other work in the program includes more than $600 million in a new Concourse K and the $745 million Central Terminal remodel.
Diving knowledge:
The work represents another step in the modernization of Miami International Airport, as passenger traffic continues to increase. American Airlines plans to operate its biggest summer schedule never this year, according to a separate statement.
Currently, the airport’s Concourse D can support ground operations for smaller regional aircraft. The improved space will eliminate external boarding and provide 17 full doors to accommodate larger aircraft. The project also includes a new baggage handling system and third-level direct access to the airport’s US Customs and Border Protection facility for international arrivals, according to the MIA statement.
“The D60 expansion is one of the most monumental customer service enhancements within our unprecedented airport-wide modernization plan, which will transform the passenger experience at MIA from the cabin to the curb over the next five years,” Levine Cava said in the statement. “MIA is among the fastest growing global centers since the pandemic.”
In addition to the new gates, the project will also expand a single shared boarding area to include adjacent boarding spaces for each gate. The expansion will ultimately improve flow and offer customers more space, according to the American Airlines statement.
American Airlines, which accounts for more than 60 percent of passenger traffic at Miami International Airport and operates approximately 400 daily departures, described the project as key to sustained growth in the area.
“Miami is an important hub and gateway for Americans, and is an essential part of our history and our future,” Isom said in MIA’s Feb. 25 statement. “The new and reimagined D60 is a transformative project that will deliver a vastly improved experience for our customers and our team.”
Construction will begin in 2027 and end in 2030, according to the MIA statement. The extension aims to achieve LEED Silver and Envision Verified certifications, the highest ratings for resilient structures by the US Green Building Council and the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure.
