Memphis' airport is consolidating its uncrowded terminals into a brand new $245 million single terminal to downsize and modernize see inside
- Memphis International Airport just opened its brand-new, modernized Terminal B on Tuesday.
- The new facility comes as Memphis strategically shrinks its operation as passenger traffic lags.
Memphis International Airport was once a thriving airport that served as a major hub for Northwest Airlines.
The city was geographically well-positioned for the US' aviation route map, being a popular, "hassle-free" layover point for both business and leisure travelers. In its prime, the airport was averaging about 550 flights per day thanks to Northwest.
Source: The New York Times
However, Delta acquired the carrier in a historic merger in 2008 to create the world's largest airline, and Northwest's brand was abandoned in 2009.
Delta continued to operate a base in Memphis for five years. But, in 2012, it ended the airport's only transatlantic service to Amsterdam, and officially closed the hub in 2013.
Source: The Points Guy
The move came as Delta decided it only needed one home in the South, and it chose the fast-growing Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in nearby Georgia.
Source: The Points Guy
Delta has dominated Atlanta for decades, creating a mega-hub that, up until the pandemic, was the busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic. In 2019, Atlanta handled over 110 million travelers.
Source: CNN
While Delta has expanded its Atlanta home over the years, Memphis has gone in the opposite direction, with the exception of being FedEx's cargo superhub.
Source: FedEx
When Northwest was taken over by Delta, Memphis lost nearly two-thirds of its passengers. Traffic plummeted from 11 million travelers in 2007, the year before the merger, to just over four million in 2019.
The lack of passengers created an unsettling feeling of abandonment at the three-terminal airport, with deserted corridors and empty gates.
Realizing the need to strategically downsize, Memphis decided to invest in an all-new terminal to consolidate its operations.
In 2018, the city started a $245 million "modernization effort" to revamp the airport's entire Terminal B.
Source: Memphis International Airport
Despite slowdowns caused by COVID-19 and supply-chain issues, the new facility officially opened on Tuesday, with the first flight operated by Delta on Wednesday evening.
Source: Memphis International Airport
The project called for Terminals A and C to be closed, which abandons about 60 gates, but both "will be retained for possible future growth."
With Terminal B acting as the sole active facility for passenger operations, Memphis has redesigned the space to house all of the airline, retail, and restaurant services.
Source: Memphis International Airport
Specifically, the concourse has 23 large gates that can handle about 6 million passengers, which is more traffic than pre-pandemic levels.
Source: Memphis International Airport
Moreover, the new, modernized space will feature higher ceilings and wider corridors...
Source: Memphis International Airport
…new restaurant and retail options…
Source: Memphis International Airport
…moving walkways and more natural lighting…
Source: Memphis International Airport
... air-conditioned jet bridges...
…a pet relief area…
Source: Memphis International Airport
...updated bathrooms...
…a stage for live music in the rotunda…
Source: Memphis International Airport
…two lounges, with one dedicated to St. Jude's and the other for military families…
Source: Memphis International Airport
…improved charging stations…
Source: Memphis International Airport
…and a new art program that displays 61 pieces of work from 62 artists that are connected to Memphis.
Source: Memphis International Airport
However, the southwest side of the terminal was not redesigned and will only be used for international arrivals, which the airport does not currently have.
Source: Memphis International Airport
Air Canada does offer one international flight to Toronto, but the route actually acts as a domestic leg because of the immigration pre-clearance in Canada. This means passengers do not have to go through customs in Memphis.
Source: Memphis International Airport
If the city does get international flights, there are plans in place to modernize that side of Terminal B. The expansion would add 15 more gates, increasing the airport's total annual passenger capacity to nearly 11 million.
Source: Memphis International Airport
Other parts of the airport that still have not been redesigned are the ticketing and baggage hall, which will be done in a future phase of the project.
Source: Memphis International Airport
Although Terminals A and C will be maintained, the end of concourse C will be demolished to "facilitate more efficient airline traffic" to and from terminal B.
Source: Memphis International Airport
While Memphis has been a ghost-town since the Delta-Northwest merger, the modernized concourse is bringing new hope to the airport.
Source: Memphis International Airport
Additional optimism came with the announcement that Spirit will begin flying to Memphis for the first time in April. It is the only carrier to start new service at the airport since Air Canada in 2017.
Source: Memphis International Airport
Memphis airport CEO Scott Brockman told The Points Guy that he is hoping other budget carriers, like newcomers Breeze and Avelo, will also begin flying to the city but does not think Memphis will be hub again due to the rise in point-to-point networks.
Source: The Points Guy
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