Airport Experience® News - Leadership & Culture Issue 2023

2023 DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR LARGE AIRPORTS

The $1.1 billion modernization of Terminal 1 broke ground in November 2021. The largest component is the terminal and roadway enhancement project that will replace the existing 19 gates at Terminal One with a new 19-gate facility. That project is expected to be completed in summer 2025. A second phase, that will open in early 2026, will add three more gates. Finally, in 2028, the final eight gates will open, bringing Terminal 1 to 30 gates. Perhaps more importantly, the new facility will be a 1 million square foot terminal, “which is a huge improvement right now over what we have,” Becker says. It will come with ample concessions, an outdoor patio with a stage and views of the city and the bay, wider concourses, additional checkpoint lanes and other amenities. Art will be a major component, including the “luminous wave” feature that will be incorporated into the façade of the building – an iconic feature that stands out much like the canopies at Denver International Airport (DEN) . “It will be just truly a beautiful facility compared with what we have now,” she says. “It will definitely be an experience that people in San Diego can be proud of.” Additional Enhancements The new terminal will bring with it a 250% increase in space dedicated to concessions. There will be significant local and regional appeal with offerings split into three zones — seaside, heritage and urban – each reflecting a different aspect of the city’s culture. “Concessionaires were very successful in partnering with local flavors,” Becker says. “That’s going to be exciting.” As part of the terminal project, the airport has raised the footprint of Terminal 1 by three feet to prevent flooding due to rising sea levels. Prior to kicking off the terminal project, the airport broke ground on and finished within a year a new Federal Inspection Station for use by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “I was told we had to get it done within one year,” she says. “Like the runway project, I thought it was a lofty goal. The team was able to get it done.” A new parking plaza for Terminal 2 and an airline support building for enhancing

belly freight movements also have opened. In typical Becker fashion, she passes accolades to her team. “It’s a juggling act with our limited footprint, but with the right team who is motivated to make things work, it’s amazing what can get done,” she says. A final component of the overhaul will create a parallel taxiway that will allows the airport to more effectively use its lone runway. Overall, Becker is particularly proud of the project’s focus on sustainability. The terminal will include temperature controlling frittered glass that will allow travelers to enjoy the San Diego sun but not bake in it. And SAN s building a second cistern for water capture and reuse. The first allowed for the capture of 68,000 gallons of water in the first year. The airport also collects condensate drops from air conditioners and partnered with a local brewery that was able to make more than 450 gallons of beer – Hoppy Trails IPA and Pre-Flight Pilsner – from its efforts. Multi-phase projects like the SAN Terminal 1 undertaking can be challenging and frustrating at times, but they are important and will be meaningful for a long time. “The fun thing - what I tell my staff all the time - is that you’re a part of something that not everybody gets to be a part of,” Becker says. “And when you drive past this airport in 20, 30 years, you’ll be able to say, ‘I did that. I had a big piece of that. And that kind of puts it in perspective.” Collaborative Approach Stakeholders in the SAN project have been impressed with how collaboratively Becker has approached planning for the project. It’s in keeping with her overall approach to management, says Steve Hubbell, senior airport affairs advisor at Southwest Airlines . “She is willing to discuss any issue and take airline feedback and implement where she can,” he says. “She really brought us into all the conversations on the project.” Hubbell and Steve Sisneros, vice president of airline affairs, say that SAN, under Becker’s lead, sought feedback from airlines on the recent hiring of a chief operating officer and also was one

Above: Becker has been involved in the aviation industry for the entirity of her career. Now, she’s taking on the challenge of renovating and expanding Terminal 1 at San Diego International Airport..

“It’s been a really good move,” Becker says. “I’ve enjoyed it.” T1 Overhaul But coming on the job at SAN, she also knew, would come with a lot of long days of planning. The airport’s current Terminal 1 opened in 1967. It is cramped, lacks adequate concessions and is not laid out well to meet modern airport needs. “The customer experience is absolutely atrocious,” Becker says. “It’s embarrassing, there are not enough concessions. There are not enough places to sit. There are not enough chargers to make sure everybody has what they need before they board that flight. We’re extremely excited about this project.”

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AX NEWS LEADERSHIP ISSUE 2023