Major airport improvement projects scheduled to take off in 2025 – and even baggage tracking gets an upgrade

By Zac Bosma, Vice President, The Christman Company

Airports across the country are planning upgrades, from adding modern amenities to complete overhauls. At least five airports have projects planned with billion-dollar-price tags, from a new aerodrome and terminal in Columbus, Ohio, to expanding concourses and upgrading baggage handling at Nashville International Airport. 

The Christman Company has a lot of experience with airport projects. The construction management firm, then called Rentenbach Constructors, oversaw the 140,000-square-foot expansion at McGhee Tyson Airport some 25 years ago, including the construction of a new concourse, passenger gates and even the indoor water feature designed to symbolize a Smoky Mountain stream.

Since then, the company has spearheaded numerous projects with FedEx cargo hubs across the country and at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We have partnered with the international airport on projects from consolidating baggage screening and improving the ticket hall, to the recent $135 million Terminal Enhancement Project, which will implement new technology expected to revolutionize baggage handling. I will share a little more about that later in this article.

What is fueling improvement projects? 

The availability of infrastructure funds has launched improvements for airports that are eager enough to pursue them. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $15 billion in airport infrastructure funding. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicates the money can be invested in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections and roadway projects. To date, the FAA reports that nearly $12 billion in Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) funding has been made available to airports across the country. 

What kind of projects are in demand? 

We are seeing a lot of airports focused on improving the experience for their flying clientele. 

When we look at smaller airports like McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville or the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a lot of upgrades are driven by a desire to improve customer satisfaction. 

Airport officials are looking at the experience once ticketed passengers have cleared security. They want to have nice, clean restrooms and spacious gate areas with comfortable seating. They also seek to attract restaurants, shops and other activities that will encourage spending and hopefully return trips. 

Airports receive landing fees, but that is only a small part of how they make money. Most get a share of the proceeds from dining or retail, and one of the most profitable sources is parking, which is why some airports look to expand parking structures as part of modernization and expansion plans. If travelers are going to feel comfortable leaving their car at the airport for a lengthy trip, they’ll expect a convenient and covered parking garage with ample security and lighting. Some airports are even building parking structures just for rental cars. It’s a big focus since parking is heavily desired by the traveling community, and it’s also a revenue center.

These small to midsized airports seem to be most responsive to customer feedback as well, driving the addition of features like indoor pet relief areas, sensory rooms or companion bathrooms with adult changing stations. 

McGhee Tyson Airport has announced, “Flight Plan,” a decade-long improvement plan to add gates and concessions, and renovate restrooms, the security checkpoint and escalators, all to improve the overall passenger experience and attract more flying clientele to East Tennessee. 

Other changes may be less noticeable to travelers, but are impactful overall, like improvements to sustainability. We’ve seen airports add green roofs and thermally efficient windows. Triple-glazed glass offers insulation, energy efficiency and noise reduction, which is important when you consider jet blast. 

What other changes may travelers encounter? 

Earlier I mentioned technological advances in baggage handling systems, such as an Individual Carrier System (ICS). ICS is a system that’s been used elsewhere in the world but hasn’t been deployed successfully in North America until recently. Think about how Amazon or FedEx move packages where a box is moved around in a system on a tray. Now, imagine it’s your luggage. Instead of your suitcase going straight onto a conveyor belt, it would go inside a container or tote and would remain inside from check-in until reaching your final destination.

It makes baggage handling and screening more efficient, and the airlines can locate where your bag is in the system at all times. We all would like that. These systems have been popular around the world and are now being installed stateside. The first was in San Francisco, then Orlando, and there is going to be one in Cincinnati as well as Grand Rapids. These airports are demonstrating not only that these systems can work here, but also that sophisticated technology can be worth the investment even at smaller airports. 

What are challenges to airport improvements? 

The biggest challenge with airport enhancement projects is really our biggest strength as a construction management firm. Airports need to stay open. Even while construction is underway, passengers need to get in and around the airport, security has to be maintained, and airline employees must be able to maneuver equipment and manage baggage in an appropriate amount of time. At Christman, we are particularly good at complicated and phased projects with facilities that need to remain open. We do a lot of education and healthcare construction, where services continue throughout the span of the project.

We work really hard to integrate ourselves with our clients, understand their needs and schedules, and deliver projects in phases so we don’t hinder operations. Sometimes that means starting construction at 2 a.m. after the last flight has landed. Whether it’s expanding the concourse at McGhee Tyson Airport or a complete overhaul at an international hub, traffic must keep moving to make sure the traveler and the project reach the desired destination. 

About Zachary Bosma

With over 30 years in the construction industry, Zac has extensive experience leading teams working through multi-phased projects in large, occupied spaces and overall management of complex projects valued at $100 million or more. He has overseen multiple airport infrastructure projects, including those at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. 

About The Christman Company

The Christman Company, founded in 1894, is one of the country’s leading professional construction services firms. The company’s award-winning services include construction management, general contracting, design/build, program management, real estate development and self-perform services. Christman specializes in a variety of construction markets, including government, higher and K12 education, industrial and power, healthcare, and corporate office. Ranked at No. 87 in the Engineering News-Record ENR 400 top contractors nationally and No. 44 in the ENR 100 Construction Management-at-Risk firms, Christman has more than $6 billion in construction underway managed by 500 professional employees across five states throughout the Southeast U.S., the Midwest, the Southwest U.S., and the Mid-Atlantic. In 2021 Christman formalized its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program by forming a dedicated DEI Council representing diverse members from across the regions we serve. Click this link to read more about our activities and focus on DEI. For more information, visit https://www.christmanco.com, and connect on Facebook and LinkedIn.