A rendering of the expansion at MIA.
The latest news on airports globally, with updates on financing, infrastructure expansion and sustainability initiatives.
Miami-Dade County and American Airlines unveiled a $1 billion expansion of Miami International Airport’s (MIA) North Terminal Concourse D. Called the D60 extension, the project will convert one common boarding space and 17 ground-level gates for smaller regional jets into 17 traditional gates for larger regional and narrowbody aircraft, each with an individual passenger hold room. The project will cover three levels of the concourse. “All 17 gate areas will provide convenient third-level connections to Concourse D's U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility for international arrivals,” said Miami-Dade County, which runs the airport. American has a more than 60% market share at MIA. Construction is scheduled to commence in 2027. The opening is projected for 2030.
Airports Council International (ACI) Europe pushed back against IATA’s recent call for an annual reduction of 4.9% in Spanish airport charges over the 2027-31 period. Spanish airports operator AENA has proposed an annual increase of 3.8% for the five-year period. IATA said AENA has consistently underestimated traffic growth during previous regulatory periods and “gamed the regulatory system for years, earning millions of euros more than it should have, at the expense of passengers, airlines and the Spanish economy.” ACI Europe said it has “strongly rebutted IATA's call for the Spanish airport operator AENA to reduce its charges by 22% over the next five years while still maintaining its €13 billion [$15 billion] investment plan over the same period.” IATA said its suggested reduction would be compatible with maintaining an airport investment plan of nearly €10 billion over the 2027-31 period. ACI Europe countered that “charges paid by airlines for the use of AENA's airports have decreased by 7% in nominal terms over the past 10 years (2015-25), actually resulting in a 36% decrease in real terms … Meanwhile airfares in Spain have increased by 40% since 2019—revealing what has for years been clearly established: Changes in airport charges are not passed through to consumers, as airlines always seek to exercise their pricing power. This means that airlines' calls for reductions in airport charges are all about protecting their bottom line.” ACI Europe added that AENA’s plan to modernize and expand capacity at Spanish airports “cannot be delivered without adjusting its user charges to reflect both inflationary pressures and capital costs. AENA's proposed 3.8% annual increase from 2027 to 2031 … is fair, reasonable and grounded in economic reality—especially as regards inflationary pressures.” ACI Europe Director General Olivier Jankovec said: “IATA really does live in a parallel world where money grows on trees and where traffic risks do not exist … Like several other major European airport operators, AENA is at the start of a massive and unprecedented capital investment cycle which will enable the modernization and development of key strategic infrastructure—supporting Spain's and Europe's competitiveness, global position and cohesion. After 10 years during which its user charges went down significantly, there is just no other option than to increase them."
The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) will hold a public informational meeting on March 2 to present ongoing planning studies for the reconstruction of Runway 2-20 at Maui’s Kahului Airport. “The meeting will present information regarding conceptual study alternatives for the long-term reconstruction of Runway 2-20,“ HDOT said. “The runway, which is used for most commercial jet traffic on Maui, needs to undergo major reconstruction due to 80-plus years of continuous use. It will involve the temporary closure of the runway … Regulatory permitting and environmental reviews for the reconstruction will be initiated in the future.”
Kazakhstan started work on a civil aviation master plan covering the period through 2050. The plan will “serve as a strategic guideline” for the development of the country’s aviation system and will outline “large-scale modernization of airport infrastructure,” according to Talgat Lastayev, Kazakhstan’s vice minister of transport. The master plan project coordinator will be Louise Stols, representing ICAO. She will “meet with key industry stakeholders, review existing strategic documents and support the preparation of the [master plan’s] work plan,” Lastayev said. “The development of the master plan by ICAO experts represents an independent and professional expert assessment that will enable the formation of a long‑term, realistic and competitive model for the development of Kazakhstan’s civil aviation sector.”
Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), Poland’s flagship transport infrastructure project combining a new international airport with a nationwide high-speed rail and road network, continued receiving bids for major aspects of the development of the airport. The latest tender process covers the construction of deep foundations for the passenger terminal. “Nine of the largest companies and consortia with extensive experience in delivering complex infrastructure projects were invited to take part in the competition,” CPK said. Ultimately six bids were submitted. CPK said it has secured financing to spend €97 million ($115 million) on the deep foundations. The contract with the selected contractor is planned to be signed in June this year, CPK said. “Completion of the [deep foundations work] is expected by the end of 2027, with final acceptance of the works scheduled for early 2028,” CPK said. Located between Warsaw and Lodz, CPK is envisioned as the largest airport in Central and Eastern Europe and one of the top 15 hubs in Europe. CPK is actively engaged in tender processes for various aspects of the airport. For example, it recently accepted bids for a contractor to provide passenger boarding bridges. CPK is also in the midst of market consultations regarding a planned hydrogen fuel infrastructure for airport ground vehicles.
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