Transportation Committee hears Hartsfield‑Jackson quarterly briefing; council approves fees and project funding

Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport reported record passenger traffic and a slate of capital projects Wednesday, and the Atlanta City Council Transportation Committee approved several airport contracts, budget transfers and an adjusted rental‑car customer facility charge.

Jay Lennon, interim airport general manager, told the committee “ATL is celebrating 100 years this year” and said the airport carried about 108,100,000 passengers in 2024 and is planning for “125,000,000 passengers in 5 years.” Lennon also highlighted ongoing construction and capacity projects including a South parking deck that will add 6,700 spaces and the Concourse D modular expansion, which he described as a $1,300,000,000 project.

The committee voted in favor of a series of airport items on the consent and regular agendas, including amendments to concession and advertising agreements, budget transfers for airport capital, construction contracts and an increase in the customer facility charge (CFC) applied to rental‑car customers. The council approved the resolution to adjust the CFC; Tavania Smith, assistant general manager for commercial revenue, said the increase will move the fee from $5 to $8.50 and that “At $8.50, we will still… be in the middle of the pack.” Smith said proceeds will support a capital improvement plan she described as approximately $475,000,000 over the next 10 years.

Why it matters: Atlanta’s airport is a central economic engine for the region. Committee members said the projects and fee changes are intended to fund capacity improvements, reduce congestion and support long‑term growth as passenger volumes rise and large events draw spikes in throughput.

Key operational figures and projects - Passenger traffic: 108,100,000 passengers in 2024 (airport reported); Q4 passenger volume reported as about 27,100,000. - Growth target: planning for 125,000,000 passengers within five years. - Concourse D: modular construction…