Work has begun on the construction of the new Terminal 1 (T1) facility at San Diego International Airport in California following the approval of an environmental impact report by the FAA.
In October, the board of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, the airport operator, unanimously approved the budget of US$2.6bn for the replacement of the existing 1960s terminal building.
Board chair Gil Cabrera said, “The airport is a major economic driver for the region and the new T1 will make our city more attractive to the millions of people who want to visit and also provide a better travel experience for San Diegans. This project will provide well-paying jobs and numerous contracting opportunities that will aid in the region’s economic recovery. On behalf of the rest of the Board, I want to recognize the efforts of the Airport Authority team to advance the new T1 during this extraordinary time.”
Kimberly Becker, president and CEO of San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, said, “Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the Airport Authority has carefully and cautiously continued planning for the replacement of our existing, 54-year-old Terminal 1. The new T1 will provide the customer experience people expect from San Diego by developing a terminal that is modern, efficient, and built to serve the thousands of passengers expected over the next several years. I want to acknowledge the incredible work done by the Airport Authority team and congratulate them on reaching this milestone.”
As the airport’s only terminal when it was built in 1967, it served 2.5 million passengers in its first year. In 2019, the same Terminal 1 served more than 12 million passengers.
As part of the project, the Airport Authority has set aside space between the terminals for a transit station that could connect to a transit project chosen by regional transportation planning agencies. Additionally, the Airport Authority plans in late November to launch an all-electric shuttle fleet that will carry transit riders from the Old Town Transit Center to the airport and back.
The new terminal will offer a total of 30 gates, a refreshed collection of food and beverage, news, gifts, and retail concessions, as well as more security checkpoint lanes. It also includes improvements to the airport’s roadways system, making it easier to enter and exit the airport, and a parking plaza which will handle several ground transportation services.
The first 19 gates are expected to be operational in July 2025 and then the construction of the remaining 11 gates will begin that same month. The project is expected to be completed in June 2028. The T1 project is estimated to create between 15,000 to 20,000 jobs for local workers and will be delivered by the Turner-Flatiron joint venture.