SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Airport System hosted an open house Wednesday to discuss whether the city needs to build an additional airport.
- Measuring population growth for the next 20-50 years
- 9.1 million travelers in 2017
- Focus on renovations
The system hosted its third open house to review a study on the city’s population growth and an airport that can sustain that growing population over the next 20 to 50 years.
The FAA requires airports to have a 20-year plan. The San Antonio International Airport found it can accommodate travelers for not only the next 20 years but the next 50 years. Renovations and additions will still need to happen.
The FAA only wants cities to build an additional airport if the first one cannot handle the increasing number of travelers. The SAAS said 9.1 million passengers came through the airport last year and they expect 10 million in this year.
On October 31, full results will be presented to the City Council.
Regardless of city’s council’s decision, the airport is already focused on creating more room in the terminals, adding food, shopping options, and modernizing outdated facilities.
“The plans that we are examining for the future really envision a world class airport experience that you see in modern airports all over the county, so that’s really going to be the objective as we move forward,” Russ Handy, airport system aviation director, said.
On Thursday, the airport system will host the fourth and final open house at the Jewish Community Center.