The new Salt Lake City International Airport opened yesterday, Sept. 15, 2020, as the first hub airport built in the United States in the 21st century. Dubbed the “world’s most modern and innovative airport facility,” it will accommodate 26 million passengers. Phase One opened, with plans for Phase Two to debut in 2024.
The New SLC features two linear concourses, connected via tunnel. This replaced the airport’s five existing concourses, with the entire $4 billion project financed by the airport’s self-sustaining fund that uses no taxpayer dollars.
Constructed with the aim of earning LEED Gold Certification, the airport will offer more efficient arrivals and departures for the thriving Salt Lake City area. The light-filled terminal features 45-foot, floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooking the Wasatch Mountains. A new Utah Transit Authority TRAX light rail station at the airport makes it faster and easier to get downtown.
Dining and retail options reflect the culture of Salt Lake City. The New SLC will feature existing and new eateries, including Market Street Grill, Café Rio, Squatters, Fillings & Emulsions, Pago and Silver Diner. Twenty-nine stores will open in the first phase.
“Salt Lake is very much the crossroads of the West,” said Bill Wyatt, executive director of airports for Salt Lake City. “From the skin on the building to the art that has been selected to the massive terrazzo floors, there has been extraordinary attention paid to making sure that people knew they were in Salt Lake when they land here.”
Construction began in July 2014. When completed, the new South Terminal, home to Delta Air Lines’ second-largest hub, will have a total of 4 million square feet of new space. The entire airport will have a baggage system stretching six miles in length and each of the 78 gates will have jet bridges to make for faster departures and arrivals. A new parking garage will be the size of three football fields with 3,600 parking stalls.
Do you travel to or through Salt Lake City often? Are you excited to experience the new airport? What do you look for in an airport experience? Tell us about it. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.
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