San Antonio unveiled plans for the 2.5 billion dollar project for San Antonio International Airport, which will be a new terminal and local economic growth.
The brand-new third terminal is expected to fit up to 17 new gates, is anticipated to open in the second quarter of 2028, and would be more than twice as large as Terminal A and more than three times the size of Terminal B.
The third terminal is part of the 20-year strategic development plan for the airport that the city council approved in November 2021. The plan also includes adding more gates; extending the largest runway to accommodate longer international flights; re-routing vehicle traffic; central passenger screening; and more parking.
President and CEO of greater: SATX — Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, joined leading SA to explain our bright future.
“This project has been a long time coming for the San Antonio community, so I’ve seen various plans along the way. I will tell you, though, that seeing those renderings that were unveiled last week just make it all the more real. And I couldn’t be more thrilled about the progress for the international airport,” Saucedo-Herrera said.
This airport project has been a long time coming, and lots of planning is involved in getting to this moment.
“We’ve been heavily involved, as you can imagine. You know, SAT is the largest airport serving all of South Texas. And so it’s a top priority for business leaders. It’s a top priority for us... But beyond just supporting terminal development, we also worked with the airport and Visit San Antonio to launch a private air service on this last year. So we’re hoping to see some tangible results in 2023,” Saucedo-Herrera said.
The new airport look can be significant for the future of our local economy.
“This is a top priority for existing businesses here in San Antonio, but also potential new businesses that we’re working to recruit. And so as we continue to invest big and SAT will continue to see real results, but it’s all about that nonstop service capacity and also creating a more inviting welcome for visitors that are coming to the San Antonio community. But to put it into perspective, you know, the airport travels about 10 million passengers per year, and we’re aiming to double that over the next couple of decades. So investing the 2.5 billion a little bit higher than that actually sends the world a strong signal that San Antonio is ready for growth,” Saucedo-Herrera said.
As for greater: SATX, there is a five-year plan, and the airport is a big part of it.
“The strategy is very simple. It’s an elaborate plan with a lot of different tactics and initiatives, but it’s all about investing in our people and in our place to secure top quality jobs for San Antonians. So the airport is an example of that. Launching a national advertising campaign about living and working in San Antonio is also part of that. And of course, talent, attraction and retention. And the most important part of what we do, making sure that businesses want to be in San Antonio, want to scale in San Antonio and want to invest in San Antonio. At the end of the day, it’s about jobs. And over the last 3 to 4 years, we as an organization have secured about 28,000 jobs for the region. But we need more. And we are competing not just at a at a national scale, but at a global scale for those jobs. And we believe San Antonians are in the perfect position to support the employers that we’re working toward here,” Saucedo-Herrera said.
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