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Boise Airport unveils concession changes, family restrooms and new air service as master plan work begins
Summary
At the March 5 commission meeting, Director Rebecca Houghton summarized concessions relocations and openings, family restroom installations funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the consolidated rental car facility topping off and Frontier Airlines’ return to Denver; she also previewed a master plan update and promotions.
Boise — Airport Director Rebecca Houghton told the Boise Airport Commission on March 5 that multiple passenger-facing projects are under way, including a multi-tenant concessions refresh, new family restrooms funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and a consolidated rental car facility that topped off on Feb. 25.
Houghton said the airport has been installing temporary walls in the concourse while new concession spaces are built: the Boise Depot (lower level) is expected to reach substantial completion in early April; Sawtooth Essentials in early May; and a cluster including Blue Sky Bagels, Pizza Hut and Protein Bar is expected in June where Forever Heather and Art Source formerly operated. Waffle Me Up will open in the food court after a court deaccession process and is expected in early June.
“We are introducing new concession concepts before we close the existing ones,” Houghton said.
Family restrooms and federal funding: Houghton said new family restrooms will be added on Concourse B and are scheduled for completion in April. She said the project was funded by a grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Passenger boarding bridges and master plan: the airport received a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant of $9,000,000 for passenger boarding bridges tied to Concourse A; the project was reported to be at 75% design and will be bid in the spring. Houghton also said the airport selected InterVistas to update its master plan, which will use a 20-year planning horizon and will include technical advisory committees, tenant input and public open houses.
Rental car facility and air service: Houghton recapped a topping-off ceremony Feb. 25 for the consolidated rental car facility and said the project is on track for completion in spring or early summer 2026. On air service, she said Frontier Airlines plans to return to Boise with nonstop service to Denver starting in May, which the airport expects will expand connectivity through Frontier’s Denver hub.
Other initiatives and staffing: Houghton announced a “hidden disabilities” sunflower-lanyard program — a low-visibility indicator to help staff recognize travelers who may need additional assistance — and said staff and tenants will receive training. She also announced internal promotions: Thomas Anderson, Matt Cooper and Hannah Hoke to duty manager roles and a promotion for Maribel (last name not specified in the record) to senior custodian.
Finances and ridership: Houghton said passenger counts grew substantially since the prior concessions update: 2024 recorded nearly 2,500,000 enplanements and about 5,000,000 total passengers, “a million more passengers going through the airport today than we did the last time we updated our concessions.” She reported airline revenue and TNC fees were up and that some terminal concession payments showed timing-related decreases rather than lower activity.
Provenance: Director Rebecca Houghton delivered the passenger services, concessions and master plan updates during the March 5 commission meeting and answered commissioners’ questions about contract hours, grant funding and master plan scope.
