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Airport staff say terminal works, scheduling and grants will support third carrier
Summary
City staff told council that the airport will add a third carrier next week and that Phase 2 of terminal renovations should ease capacity; staff are seeking grant funding that requires roughly a 10% local match and exploring traffic-flow redesign and mobile check-in counters.
City staff reported that the airport has moved from one carrier in 2023 to two earlier this season and expects a third carrier to begin service next week. "Adding 1 more daily turn isn't going to make a lot of difference," Speaker 5 said, describing a scheduling interval system the airport uses to prevent overlapping departures.
Speaker 5 said Phase 2 of the terminal renovation is expected to be finished around March 1, which will create a contiguous screened-area outdoor space and additional seating to ease passenger comfort during delays. He noted staff are pursuing federal funding opportunities but that some grants require a local match of about 10%.
Operational changes staff described include experimenting with a mobile ticket counter and remote baggage check ("counter on wheels" or COW), coordination between airlines to manage schedules and delays, and a single ground-handling company that assists cross-airline operations. Speaker 5 said AeroCloud is being explored to integrate remote baggage scales.
On ground access and parking, Speaker 8 described using a current FDOT grant to fund design and potential construction of a three-lane traffic flow, with a dedicated pull-off lane for drop-offs and a covered sidewalk if the grant allows. Staff are also in talks with a prospective parking tenant and expect a revised Hansen contract for parking redesign on an upcoming agenda.
Councilors and residents asked practical questions about passenger re-screening during delays and impacts on nearby businesses. Staff said temporary options (conference rooms, extra chairs) have been used during peak delays and that any traffic/parking redesign would aim to preserve customer access to local businesses such as CJ Cannons.
