ATL GM details infrastructure, sustainability and financials in quarterly update; council seeks follow-up on passenger and theft data

General Manager Smith delivered the airport’s first-quarter 2025 report to the City Council, laying out progress on infrastructure projects, sustainability work, concessions and financial results and answering council members’ questions about passenger trends and vehicle thefts.

The update covered ongoing capital work — including the Ramp 6 North gates, the South Parkland Deck phase 1 and the multi‑phase Concourse D widening — sustainability plans such as solar generation pilots and deicing‑facility certifications, a concessions refresh and an equities push that Smith said has produced more than $1,400,000,000 in invoiced work to eligible business partners.

Why it matters: The airport is a major city enterprise fund whose operations, passenger volumes and commercial revenues affect city finances and local businesses. Council members pressed airport leadership for more granular data to understand recent quarterly passenger declines and a rise in vehicle thefts reported in the first quarter.

Smith told council that ATL completed its FAA Part 139 inspection for the period, maintaining the airport operating certificate that allows the facility to operate. "We maintain our operating certificate, which is the basic document that enables us to operate as an airport," he said during the presentation. Smith described the airport’s cash position as strong — "more than $1,100,000,000," which he said represented about 979 days of cash on hand — and said the airport plans a bond issuance later this summer to support construction.

On capital projects, Smith said Ramp 6 North added three gates and new concessions and opened in February. The South Parkland Deck Phase 1 is expected to be complete by June 2026 and — when finished — will provide a combined total of about 7,800 parking spaces with electric‑vehicle charging and a parking guidance system. Concourse D widening remains in a multi‑phase delivery schedule, with Phase 2 due in September and overall project completion targeted for summer 2029. Smith also reported delivery of the first of 14 plane‑train cars for a west expansion of that system.

Sustainability and equity items featured in the report: the airport has begun solar installations with FAA and partner firms, energized two fire stations and plans additional sites, and said the South Deicing Facility holds LEED and Envision certifications. Smith said ATL has participated in Department of Energy–linked electric‑vehicle adoption recognition (EVAL) and reported a goal and participation figures for the airport’s concessions disadvantaged business program (ACDB): the city set an ACDB goal of 34.72% for non‑car‑rental concessions for October 2023–September 2026 and ATL’s participation stood near 33% across 32 certified businesses, representing about $57,400,000 in ACDB revenue for the period cited.

On operations, Smith reported that 24,000,000 passengers passed through ATL in the first quarter, a figure he said matched last year’s reporting for the same period. He cautioned that weather, economic uncertainty and geopolitical events can affect passenger demand. Councilmembers requested more detail on a reported 11% decline in passenger counts compared with the prior reporting period; Smith said he would provide more detailed analysis after the briefing.

Councilmembers also pressed airport leadership about law enforcement metrics. Councilmember Lewis and others flagged a rise in vehicle thefts: Lewis asked whether the 53 thefts cited for the first quarter were accurate and called for additional measures; Smith said he would provide a written follow‑up. The airport’s CFO explained revenue variances stemmed in part from major weather events in January and a fiscal‑year ’24 airline true‑up that reduced revenue recognition in the quarter.

On customer experience, Smith acknowledged a drop in the airport’s ACI satisfaction score to 3.86 (on a 0–5 scale) for the quarter and said concessions vacancies and closures were among the causes. He outlined a concessions procurement schedule (phases opening through October) and said new concepts and additional curbside support contracts and checkpoint coordination with TSA are intended to improve passenger satisfaction.

Smith outlined technology and security work, including full Wi‑Fi core switch redundancy, an external cybersecurity red‑team assessment that produced actionable findings, and a biometric exit project for departing international passengers targeting completion by the end of summer.

Council reactions and next steps: multiple councilmembers complimented airport staff and asked for follow‑up materials. Smith agreed to return detailed information on Q1 passenger trends and vehicle‑theft data; the CFO said the finance office would provide supplemental financial explanations tied to the quarter’s variance. No formal council action or vote was taken on the presentation.

Looking forward, Smith said the airport will present progress on a reorganization and the next master plan iteration to the council when available.