USA. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has opened the first phase of the upgraded Terminal 3. The project was inaugurated on Monday by Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and members of the Phoenix City Council.
The terminal is said to offer “spectacular views, an abundance of natural lighting and a more efficient travel experience for visitors” according to the airport company. It houses a larger, consolidated security checkpoint and new ticket counters.
“This enhanced terminal will help travellers find their way more intuitively while showcasing spectacular views of Camelback Mountain and the Phoenix skyline,” said Stanton. “As the largest economic engine in Arizona, these improvements to Sky Harbor will benefit not only travellers but the entire region.”
Originally opened in 1979, the terminal has been updated to reflect a Sense of Place, with views of the Phoenix landscape and downtown city skyline. For example, one new feature is a West Plaza which provides an outdoor area with native Arizona plants and an animal relief area. Additionally, a new Museum Gallery is located past security to offer a taste of Arizona’s cultural and artistic heritage.
“Phoenix Sky Harbor’s goal is to provide world-class customer service to each customer every day,” said Vice Mayor Kate Gallego. “We want to provide passengers with a superior travel experience in our state-of-the-art facility. Travellers will find not only the services they need, but extras they desire such as access to power at nearly every seat.”
Improvements as part of the first phase include 31 new common use ticket counters to allow for flexibility among the airlines. Terminal 3 currently serves Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian and JetBlue airlines.
The US$590 million project (in 2014 dollar figures) is financed through airport revenues such as parking, concessions and tenant fees. The project, which is being completed in phases to minimise impacts to customers, has two additional phases. These include replacing the south concourse and adding new food & retail concessions as well as upgrading the north concourse with improved customer amenities. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in 2020.
