Mesa Gateway Airport reports passenger growth, new manufacturing projects and a $30 million TSA screening upgrade

Brian O'Neil, executive director for the Mesa Gateway Airport, told the Queen Creek Town Council on a discussion-item update that the airport expects continued growth in passengers and private development and outlined several major projects and security upgrades.

"Queen Creek is one of the owners of the airport and really appreciate the support that the airport receives from all of you," O'Neil said in his opening remarks. He said both Allegiant and Sun Country had record years in 2024 and that he was "hopeful and optimistic that this year, for 2025, we will surpass 2,000,000 passengers for the first time in the history of the airport."

The overview highlighted three categories of activity: air service development, private-sector construction and major capital projects. O'Neil said Mesa Gateway currently has more than 1,000,000 square feet of private development in progress, naming several tenants and master-developments by project type and scale. He described an upcoming Virgin Galactic manufacturing facility that will include a roughly 15,000-square-foot manufacturing space and a roughly 50,000-square-foot hangar for a…