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 expansion, cited cost of $1,300,000,000. - South parking deck: proposed addition of 6,700 parking spaces as part of a multi‑phase parking improvement program. - Sustainability: airport is expanding solar installations (noted Cherry Street Energy) and EV charging; seven active projects are pursuing LEED or equivalent certification. - Diversity and small‑business participation: airport reported diversity‑participation invoice approvals rose from $745,000,000 in December 2022 to $1,300,000,000 in December 2024 (a 74.5% increase in that measure). - Security and operations: cargo up 11% year over year; TSA detected 440 firearms at checkpoints in 2024 (down from 451 in 2023). The airport began enforcing an ordinance in 2024 requiring visitors to have a purpose for being on airport property. - Parking and crime: airport staff reported about 6,200,000 cars parked overnight in 2024 and a vehicle theft rate of roughly 0.0048% (reported as approximately 303 vehicles). - Customer service: wait‑time goal of 20 minutes met about 95% of the time in Q4; the airport had 45 days in 2024 that exceeded 100,000 passengers.

Council questions and staff responses Council members focused on three recurring themes: the airport’s diversity programs and legal/funding risk, staffing and operational resilience for TSA and FAA changes, and passenger experience during volume spikes.

- On diversity programs and risk, Lennon said airport staff reviewed which programs are federally funded to determine what can be sustained locally and are coordinating with lobbyists and peer airports. He said the city funds many programs directly and that the airport is preparing contingency plans if funding or legal conditions change.

- On federal staffing and operational uncertainty, Lennon and staff said they have been in contact with TSA leadership and are pressing to secure adequate personnel and technology. Lennon noted efforts to encourage the TSA academy to locate training nearer Atlanta to increase the local trainee pool, and the airport has contingency plans that include contracted security services if needed.

- On customer experience and capacity, committee members urged continued investment in verification and throughput technologies (for example, identity verification platforms and improved screening equipment) and reiterated that many delays result from sheer volume. Lennon said capacity constraints at the aging facility remain the core challenge.

Votes at a glance (airport items) - Item 12501119 (Clear Channel outdoor advertising amendment and reimbursement): approved, vote 6‑0. Motion to reimburse Clear Channel Outdoor LLC $687,500 by reducing rent $68,750 per month over 10 months (details in ordinance text). - Item 32501121 / related budget transfers (airport renewal and extension fund and PFC transfers): approved, vote 6‑0. Transfers totaling $46,900,050 and additional transfers described in the agenda were approved for reimbursement and capital work. - Item 2501087 (Runway 9L end around Taxiway Phase 2 contract with CW Matthews Contracting Co.): approved, vote 6‑0; amount not to exceed $6,045,679. - Item 2501088 (Airport revenue fund transfer of $5,017,500 for various initiatives): approved, vote 6‑0. - Item 2501089 (Cargo expansion site preparation with Matthews Kelly joint venture): approved, vote 6‑0; amount not to exceed $400,000,000. - Item 2501090 (Perimeter gate inspection amendment, Aus‑HSG joint venture): amended (year corrected) and approved, vote 6‑0; amount not to exceed $27,935,020.95. - Item 25R3205 (adjust customer facility charge): approved, vote 6‑0. Resolution adjusts the CFC charged to rental‑car customers to support capital improvements. - Item 205R3206 (flight tracking system renewal with Passer Aerospace, 2‑year option): approved, vote 6‑0; amount not to exceed $140,000. - Item 25R3207 (supplemental joint task order fund for architectural/engineering services): approved, vote 6‑0; amount not to exceed $9,160,097. (Several other airport budget and grant items on the consent agenda were approved unanimously; the committee recorded 6 yays and 0 nays on each item listed in the airport section.)

What was direction vs. decision - Decisions (formal action): the committee approved the listed ordinances and resolutions (funding transfers, contracts and the adjusted customer facility charge). Vote tallies for the listed items were recorded in the meeting as 6 yays, 0 nays unless otherwise noted. - Direction/next steps: staff were directed to continue contingency planning for TSA/FAA staffing uncertainties, to proceed with capital projects and concession refreshes, and to finalize proposed parking‑rate changes for phased implementation. - Discussion only: several operational and innovation ideas (personal rapid transit, robotic security devices in parking decks, and pilot customer‑experience tech) were discussed as studies or potential pilots but not approved as funded actions in this meeting.

Community and fiscal context Committee members repeatedly framed the measures as preemptive investments to sustain Atlanta’s role as a global connecting hub and to fund capacity and customer‑experience improvements ahead of large events. Staff emphasized a need to balance revenue growth with passenger affordability while covering rising operating and construction costs.

The airport also previewed Centennial celebrations and community programs tied to the 100‑year milestone. Lennon closed the briefing noting the airport will continue planning for growth while implementing operational and technology improvements.

Ending The Transportation Committee completed its legislative agenda with unanimous votes on the airport items and moved to other business. Committee members requested follow‑up briefings on customer‑experience innovations, parking‑rate proposals and contingency plans for federal staffing changes at TSA and FAA.