Current Expansion Activities
The second phase of the expansion program is being carried out over three years, commencing in mid-2006 and is projected to cost about $170 million. The new Concourse A and Concourse C are now open; the former concourses have been demolished. Work on Concourse B was given a low priority because the capacities of Concourses A & C were more than adequate for existing demand. The expansion was designed by Reynolds, Smith & Hills
The economic downturn of 2009 resulted in a significant decrease in passengers and flights. The presence of fewer airplanes prompted the JAA to commence the demolition of Concourse B in June, 2009 because it was safer and easier for the contractor. The remains of the structure will eventually become part of an airline club lounge. After the debris was removed, asphalt was laid down for airline ground equipment parking. The concourse itself will be rebuilt when passenger traffic increases, which the JAA projects in 2013.
Also included is a further expansion of the parking system and a new automated baggage screening system.
Both of the newer concourses house ten gates each and have moving walkways.
Future plans call for expanding the newly built concourses by 2020 and possibly adding a people mover system to the airport, and connecting the airport with the onsite Clarion Hotel via a moving walkway.
Joshua Newsteder, a former U.S. Navy pilot and commercial pilot, is hoping to start a Jacksonville-based airline. The airline would operate 50-seat passenger jets to eight destinations, including Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, beginning in 2010. The Aviation Authority has been talking with airlines for years about direct flights between Jacksonville and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Newsteder's company, City Link Air, would satisfy that goal. However, financial backing for his proposed airline is a daunting challenge in the current economic climate. On May 19, 2011, JetBlue Airways began service to San Juan. Jacksonville and Puerto Rico have business ties because Puerto Rico is the main destination for cargo exported through the port of Jacksonville.
Read more about this topic: Jacksonville International Airport
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