Massive adjustments are coming at one among Southwest Airways’ largest hubs. Maryland state officers introduced main upgrades this week deliberate for Baltimore/Washington Worldwide Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). The adjustments ought to make for an improved expertise for passengers ready for a flight, to not point out whereas transferring between the airport’s concourses and when ready for his or her baggage.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed off Wednesday on a $332.5 million bundle of tasks for BWI, which would be the most important improve to the terminal within the airport’s historical past, officers mentioned.
The tasks embrace a significant improve to Southwest’s hub operations, together with a brand new baggage system that ought to imply a extra environment friendly baggage verify and declare expertise for passengers. That’s pretty vital when you think about Southwest’s lenient checked bag coverage, and the truth that the airline represents round 70% of BWI’s site visitors.
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Many passengers may even discover the enhancements that shall be made airside on the terminal. The work features a direct connection between concourses A and B, which ought to make it rather a lot simpler for Southwest passengers to journey from one gate to a different. Remember, as a significant hub for the service, BWI is a key airport not only for departures and arrivals amongst passengers touring out and in of the larger D.C./Baltimore space, however for connections as effectively.
The contract additionally requires enhancements to gate areas on the concourses, in addition to improved concessions and purchasing areas. So, whether or not you are transferring between gates, grabbing one thing to eat or sitting and ready in your flight, it must be a extra nice expertise.
Merely put, this can imply a significant transformation on the airport concourses, and can “enhance the passenger expertise for many years to return,” Hogan mentioned in a press release.
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Renderings shared with TPG by BWI officers present the improved gate areas and concessions space passengers will take pleasure in as soon as the work is full.
The work comes as Southwest is planning to bolster its footprint at its largest mid-Atlantic hub. The airport is collaborating with the airline on a brand new, 27-acre $135 million upkeep facility that may have the ability to accommodate as much as three of the airline’s signature Boeing 737 plane.
Having a significant upkeep facility on-site is vital at an airline hub, simplifying operations within the occasion {that a} airplane encounters mechanical issues.
Passengers ought to see these tasks accomplished between late 2025 and the summer time of 2026.
BWI was the nation’s 22nd busiest airport when it comes to passenger enplanements in 2021, and the busiest within the larger D.C. metropolitan space, in response to information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The airport noticed about 2.5 million enplanements greater than Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport (DCA) and about two million greater than Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD).
