Nashville International unveils US$1 billion expansion programme

USA. Nashville International Airport is set to open a host of retail and food & beverage options as part of a US$1 billion expansion programme.

Airport owner Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority has unveiled a conceptual plan, called BNA Vision, which is expected to be phased in over the next five to seven years.

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Music to passengers’ ears: A rendering of the various projects which make up Nashville International Airport’s BNA Vision

Both Concourses B and D will be expanded and retail and dining outlets will be added.

The plan also calls for a renovated International Arrivals building to accommodate the rising number of international travellers and “set the stage for attracting new nonstop flights to Europe, Asia, Latin America and more”, according to the authority. Construction is estimated to be completed in 2018.

An on-site hotel with 200-300 rooms is also included in the plan, while a new six-storey parking garage south of the existing short term garage is currently under construction. It is expected to be completed in 3Q 2018.

A spacious central entrance hall, called the Grand Ole Lobby, will make use of natural light and offer airfield views. It will accommodate airline ticketing, baggage check-in and federal security screening.

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The Grand Ole Lobby will offer a warm and bright atmosphere as well as views of the airfield

Ticketing and baggage claim areas will be expanded while the plan also includes the possibility of a new multi-modal connector to link the airport to a future Nashville transit system.

“By 2035, the population of the Greater Nashville Area is expected to surpass 2.5 million people, and Nashville International Airport’s passenger traffic will grow from 12 million today to more than 20 million,” said Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority President and CEO Rob Wigington.

“The projects comprising our BNA Vision are designed to meet the demands of this growth and address everything from international travel, to improved security wait times to more gates, parking and ease of access – all with passenger safety and convenience in mind.”

Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners Chair Bobby Joslin commented: “With Nashville’s current growth trajectory, the airport authority is planning ahead to ensure we continue providing first-rate customer service and top-notch transportation facilities for our region.

“BNA Vision is a dynamic plan that will transform Nashville International Airport and impact our region’s growth and reputation. This is an exciting time, and together, the future of the airport, like Nashville itself, is limitless.”

BNA Vision is an acceleration and expansion of the authority’s Master Plan, a comprehensive strategy last updated in 2013. Funding for the project will come from bonds, federal and state aviation grants, passenger facility charges and other airport funds.

Precise details of BNA Vision will evolve as individual projects take shape, the authority said.

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Another view of the projects included in the BNA Vision conceptual plan
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