Airport Experience® News - Conference 2023

DIREC TOR’ S CHA IR

WARD: I know you have some terminal upgrades underway with the Dream of Flight project. Can you give me the scope and timeline of that project? MCCURLEY: When I took over, the project was at just the initial start. It’s broken into three components. There is the concessions component, the TSA checkpoint component, and the infrastructure component [mainly back of the house

mechanical upgrades], all part of the program we’re calling Dream of Flight: Sunport Reimagined. We’re undertaking a concessions rebuild and also relocating the security checkpoint. TSA has added some more queuing capacity, but [we’re also looking at] building out an additional one to two lanes. Longer term we’re moving toward a centralized baggage inspection station. We originally

looked at it back in 2020, but with COVID we put it on hold, and we’ll probably pick that back up in 2025. WARD: What are your plans specifically for the concessions program? MCCURLEY: We’re reimagining the whole concessions area of the airport. Right now, we have a pass-by program, where the passengers pass by concessions [as they walk to their gates]. We’re going to more of a hybrid, where [there will be a core concessions area just after security], then more as you continue onto your gates. We’ll be going from 14 to 16 food and beverage locations. Once passengers go through the TSA checkpoint, they’ll go into an area that will have most of our concessions. We’ll have seating in that area enhance the experience.

Above, Right: Albuquerque

International Sunport lost momentum during the pandemic but is pushing hard for new routes and carriers to serve the New Mexico market.

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