Airport Experience® News - Food & Beverage Issue 2026

LATEST BUZZ

Right: SDF’s checkpoint expansion will be the largest change to the terminal’s physical footprint in more than 35 years, increasing screening from 6 to 10 lanes and allowing TSA to process up to 60% more passengers.

The solution will take shape in the terminal’s central core, between Concourses A and B, extending into available ramp space. The planned two-level concessions hub will create a central destination capturing passenger flow from both concourses, with new dining and retail options, expanded seating and charging stations. The concept also includes a potential airline lounge and an airfield viewing area. Mann describes it as a destination within the terminal itself. “It’s more than just adding concessions,” Mann says. “This investment represents the opportunity to create a dynamic, welcoming and memorable travel environment at SDF.” Construction is expected to begin in 2028. Opening To The World The project that may define the program’s long-term impact is a new Federal Inspection Services (FIS) facility, a $150 million investment that will add three gates capable of handling both international and domestic service. SDF anticipates breaking ground by early 2027. “The day the FIS opens, we feel very good that we will have less-than-daily leisure service to places in Mexico and the Caribbean,” Mann says. Longer term, transatlantic routes remain a goal. Mann sees bourbon as a genuine and growing draw for international visitors, and Louisville’s broader tourism identity, its restaurant scene, museums and the experience of the region itself, as a strong foundation for building international routes. The Kentucky Derby adds another dimension. Broadcast in more than 170 countries and territories across

with smooth flow, reliable systems and infrastructure built to adapt over decades. The second answer is harder to quantify. “As the hometown of Muhammad Ali, we simply want to be the greatest,” he says. “We will know the program worked when we defy those passenger expectations, in a good way. When they find the airport easier, more comfortable and more engaging than they anticipated. When Louisville’s airport is not simply considered a gateway, it stands out as an experience in its own right.”

five continents, the race draws an international audience that Mann believes increasingly wants to experience Churchill Downs firsthand. “It is very likely that SDF will have service from Europe and the Middle East given the number of international visitors that come to our city during this time,” he says. Defining Success Ask Mann what success looks like and he gives you two answers. Functionally, success means a terminal that meets the basic expectations of today’s travelers,

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AX NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2026