Airport director presents long-term terminal, roadway concepts as passenger traffic tops 4.6 million

The Oklahoma City Airport Trust heard a director’s report Jan. 23 outlining a draft long-range terminal and roadway study after the airport recorded a 2024 passenger total of “just over 4,600,000.”

The study, the director said, maps out a sequence of projects that would accommodate growth in stages: near-term work tied to a second parking garage and roadway reconstruction to serve an anticipated 6 million passengers; a larger reorientation of the terminal and added gates at an 8 million‑passenger milestone; and conceptual gate and terminal expansion options that the study shows could accommodate up to 20 million passengers in the very long term.

The study matters because it identifies physical constraints that will shape future capital projects and construction sequencing. Trust members and staff said the plan is intended to protect space needed for long-term growth and to avoid conflicting projects as the airport expands.

The director told trustees the airport “did reach a record number of passengers in 2024, just over 4,600,000,” and that the study is meant to project needs “30 plus years” out. The draft diagrams show the existing terminal and concourse footprint, proposed new parking garages and an expanded curb configuration on the departures side. The director said checkpoints and gate capacity are adequate today but that the terminal roadway and curb are constrained.

Key details from the presentation: - Current/near-term counts and capacity: 2024 passengers “just over 4,600,000.” The airport added four gates in 2021, and the director said gate capacity is sufficient for the near-term milestone of 6 million passengers. - Roadway constraints: the lower (arrivals) curb currently has three lanes for passenger traffic; the upper (departures) curb has four lanes. The study’s concept shows an expanded curb with six lanes and a median to meet long-term traffic requirements and reduce persistent congestion in the baggage-claim/curb area. - Structural limits: the departures deck is “not strong enough to handle a lot of the larger vehicles,” the director said, meaning large buses cannot use the upper curb; the plan calls for replacing and strengthening the deck as part of roadway reconstruction. - Project sequencing: the first project already in design is a new parking garage; once constructed, staff would demolish the close-in garage to free space to rebuild the terminal front and roadway. The director summarized the near-term sequence: “we would construct that garage and then come back and demolish the closest garage to the terminal.” - Milestones examined: 6 million passengers (garage construction and roadway rebuild), 8 million (expanded head house for ticketing and baggage claim and additional gates), and a conceptual build-out to around 20 million that would expand gate areas north and west and add terminal amenities. The director said the 20 million figure is a planning check on available land rather than a short-term target.

Trustee Craig asked how access between the new roadway and the terminal would be created during construction; the director said “a lot of that is the tunnel, actually,” noting the existing pedestrian tunnel would be used to help move people around construction zones and that some connections (pedestrian bridges, temporary links) remain to be defined. Trustee Bob asked, “So how long is 20,000,000? How far out is that?” The director replied there is no fixed date and that growth rates—citing rapid-growth examples such as Austin, Texas—would determine timing.

The director closed by saying staff will finalize this phase of the study, then prioritize projects tied to the 6 million and 8 million milestones. No formal action was taken on the study at the meeting.

The presentation included slide references by staff (Lana and Joanna) and Q&A with trustees. The director emphasized the presentation is conceptual and intended to ensure the airport keeps sufficient space and sequencing for future projects.

The Trust will return to the study work as staff finalizes the draft and frames projects for upcoming capital planning and budgeting cycles.