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Provo Airport to break ground April 14 on 10-gate expansion after rapid passenger growth
Summary
Provo City and airport leadership announced a scheduled April 14 groundbreaking for a roughly three-year project to add a 10-gate expansion, citing sharp increases in flights and passengers since the facility opened in July 2022.
Provo Mayor Michelle Cafusi and Provo Airport Director Brian Torgerson said the city will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m. April 14 to begin construction of a 10-gate expansion at Provo Airport, a project airport leaders expect to take about three years to complete.
The expansion follows rapid growth since the airport facility opened in July 2022. "We now serve 840 flights this last month in and out of the airport to 16 nonstop destinations," Airport Director Brian Torgerson said, adding that the facility has recorded "2,200,000 visitors through our building" since opening. Torgerson also said passenger counts doubled each of the previous two years and that airlines are asking for more gates and operating space.
Why it matters: airport leaders said limited capacity in 2024 has constrained additional service and prompted the expansion. The project is intended to allow current carriers to add more flights and to attract new airline partners. The airport has recently added gate 5 and highlighted the arrival of American Airlines service, which Torgerson said connects Provo to the airlines wider network via one-stop connections in Dallas and Phoenix.
Funding and history: Torgerson said the project traces to a state appropriation signed April 1, 2019, that provided $9,000,000 in state funding alongside $4,300,000 in county funding to start the project. The airport has since pursued additional federal and local partnerships, and officials said the facilitys performance helped secure further funding from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Safety and operations: Torgerson described safety as the airports top priority, citing on-site police and full-time firefighting personnel, a dedicated wildlife biologist, and weekly meetings with Transportation Security Administration inspectors to review perimeter and facility security. "Safety is number 1 priority," Torgerson said. He also noted coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and that air traffic controller staffing is a nationwide challenge.
Construction impacts and customer experience: officials asked the traveling public for patience during construction, warning of barricaded walkways, dust and temporary inconveniences but said they aim to keep the passenger experience at least equal to current levels. "Constructions gonna be a little bit painful," Torgerson said, adding the goal is to preserve the facilitys welcoming character while adding concessions and space.
Route development and outreach: airport leaders said the best way to attract new airlines is to fill existing seats and show demand. Torgerson said airport staff meet regularly with airlines and have traveled for one-on-one discussions at carrier headquarters; he said some discussions could not be publicly detailed yet. The airport cited its fast passenger access to local destinations as a selling point compared with Salt Lake International.
Other notes: Mayor Michelle Cafusi and Torgerson highlighted a recently revamped airport website intended to help travelers find information and book flights. Cafusi closed by telling residents to "buckle up because more excitement is coming your way."
