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Concourse A near completion at Key West; Marathon airport upgrades advance
Summary
Airport director Richard Strickland said Concourse A work at Key West International is nearly complete, with a soft opening targeted for April 8 and a formal ribbon-cutting in May; at Marathon, new runway and FBO/restaurant plans are progressing.
Monroe County airport officials reported steady progress on two major aviation projects at the county’s airports.
Key West International: Richard Strickland, director of airports, said construction of Concourse A is nearing its finish line after months of structural, mechanical and low-voltage work. “We are still shooting for April 8 to get it open,” Strickland told the commission. The work includes glazed facades with electrochromatic glass, terrazzo and carpet finishes, and seven passenger boarding bridges installed and commissioned; a final boarding-bridge rotunda and Bridge 8 were still pending at the briefing. Strickland said the airport will stage a “soft opening” to work through operational issues with airlines and TSA prior to a formal May 20 ribbon-cutting capped at 175 attendees per TSA restrictions.
Marathon Airport: Strickland said the new Marathon runway project and the associated fueling and FBO improvements remain on schedule. He described a private investment — a new FBO and restaurant concept adjacent to the field — that will include public dining and amenities. Strickland said the airport team is evaluating rental-car facility design options for Concourse A that would allow on-site consolidated rental operations while maintaining restaurant parking for nearby businesses.
Why it matters: Concourse A will change passenger flow and airline operations at Key West International and is one of the county’s largest capital projects. The Marathon runway, fueling and FBO improvements are major infrastructure investments meant to support general aviation, commercial service and airport economic activity in the upper keys.
Next steps: Airport staff continue systems commissioning, gate fit checks and FF&E installation; they plan a soft operational opening in April, followed by a public ribbon-cutting in May. Marathon airport operators are moving forward with phased design and permitting for the rental-car facility and the restaurant/FBO facility.
