Airport Experience® News - Customer Service Issue 2025

LATEST BUZZ

Pizzeria from Chef Jason Dady; Freight Fried Chicken from Chef Nicola Blaque; Pharm Table by Chef Elizabeth Johnson; as well as a new location of well-known national brand Panda Express. SAT will also launch several new food concepts in Terminal B, including Chef Jeff Balfour’s Southerleigh; Chef Esaul Ramos Jr.’s 2M Smokehouse; The Tasting Room by Becker Vineyards; the award-winning Bakery Lorraine; as well as new locations of Popeye’s and Dunkin’. The new eateries will be operated by HMSHost as joint ventures with ACDBE partners Chef Johnny Hernandez; Chef Nicola Blaque; Allison Balfour, co-owner of Southerleigh Hospitality Group; and Crystal Dady, owner of Tre Pizzeria. From Paradies Lagardère , new concepts include specialty retail store Feliz Modern, Military City USA, Univision, iStore, and more. And while concessionaires for SAT’s new Terminal C will not be selected until early 2027, “as with our current terminal concessions program,” Hope says, “there will be a great emphasis on including local brands to offer the wonderful culinary specialties of San Antonio and reinforce the San Antonio sense of place within the new space.” The team at SAT predicts that its terminal work will not only have an impact on the future passenger experience, but also on the current regional economy, with an anticipated 16,000 jobs and economic output of $2.8 billion. In addition to its aesthetic improvements, the SAT team wants to build a space where all travelers feel welcome, adds Hope. Through its work with Corgan and the Accessibility Focus Group, a 30-person advisory group comprised of local experts, Hope says that SAT is “laser focused on creating an accessible, barrier-free experience for all our travelers,” with plans to upgrade Terminal C to include “a significant number of design features” suggested by the Accessibility Focus Group, including the implementation of AIRA visual interpreting technology for blind and low-vision travelers as well as the Sunflower Lanyard program, a system designed to help travelers with hidden disabilities communicate additional support needs with airport staff. “We are proud of this unique approach of inviting community leader feedback as part of the design process to create the most barrier-free space possible from the beginning,” says Hope, adding that the SAT team “can’t wait to invite everyone to feel confident and empowered” as they navigate the new terminal space.

to reference the city’s well-known River Walk architecture. SAT’s new spaces will be designed by architectural firm Corgan in partnership with Lake|Flato Architects , with hopes that the new terminal space provides “a distinctive gateway experience for all passengers traveling to and from the San Antonio region, creating a welcoming and inviting front door to the city that honors its history while expressing a bold vision for the future,” says Corgan principal John Trupiano. “Drawing inspiration from the Texas Hill Country and the exuberance of San Antonio’s River Walk, the design incorporates natural materials, warm earth tones, and elements reflective of the region’s landscape to create a distinctly San Antonio experience for passengers,” adds Turpiano, noting the airport’s plans to create a space “rooted in the vibrant culture and community of San Antonio” through its paseos and courtyards. SAT will also ramp up its sustainability measures, Hope says, with an eco-conscious design that incorporates “the latest technology, materials and building layouts leading to an energy efficient building with a minimized carbon footprint for ongoing operations.” The project also includes “locally sourced materials, including wood beams, and rainwater harvesting to support native

landscaping,” she adds, as well as a Central Utility Plant (CUP) upgrade that will result in up to 30% more efficiency in terminal cooling. In addition to the Terminal Development Program, SAT is embarking on an approximately $63-million expansion of its Terminal A, increasing the space of the ground load facility by approximately 37,000 square feet and three gates as well as creating an integrated FIS for international arrivals; new passenger seating areas; charging stations, lactation rooms and work areas; as well as new food and retail concepts. Confirmed concepts include a bevy of chef-backed eateries like Chef Johnny’s Mercado, Southtown Market, La Gloria and a new proprietary tequila bar from frequent SAT partner Chef Johnny Hernandez; Tre Top: The new Terminal C at San Antonio International Airport will have up to 18 new domestic and international gates and more than 850,000 square feet of new terminal space, with 41,000 square feet of dedicated concessions space. Above: The concession spaces for the new Terminal C have not yet been bid, but HMSHost and Paradies Lagardère are bringing new concessions into other terminals as part of an overall refresh.

9

AX NEWS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2025