The Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday that the San Antonio International Airport will receive $18 million in grant funding for a new terminal, bringing to $30 million the total the airport has received in federal funds this year.
The grant will go toward the planned new air service terminal set to open in 2028 and is being funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s airport terminal program. The estimated cost of the terminal is $1.4 billion.
SAT and Port San Antonio were two of 114 U.S. airports to receive a total of $970 million through the program.
The new SAT terminal is one project of many in the airport’s 20-year, $2.5 billion airport redevelopment plan, and a key economic development strategy, stated City Manager Erik Walsh.
“The terminal expansion isn’t just about upgrading infrastructure; it’s about fueling our city’s economic engine and bolstering our connectivity,” Walsh said. “We’re solidifying San Antonio’s position as a hub of opportunity and growth.”
The grant for the new terminal will be used to support the environmental review and partial design of a terminal connector and other enabling projects. The connector will allow travelers to move between the two existing terminals without having to exit and reenter security screening.
In late January, the FAA also awarded the San Antonio airport an airport infrastructure grant of $12 million for electrical upgrades in Terminal A.
“Our mission is to provide our travelers an authentic and elevated experience,” stated Jesus Saenz, the city’s director of airports. “As we grow and expand our operations, these grants allow us to continue to modernize our airport and improve traveler experience.”
In 2023, the FAA awarded $20 million to SAT for a ground load facility that is under construction and scheduled to open in 2025. The estimated cost of construction is $50 million.
Ground loading facilities (GLF) are used by low-cost carriers to more efficiently move people on and off airplanes with less cost, thus reducing airfares.
In 2023, the airport marked a passenger record with 10,676,570 people traveling through the airport.
“We are doing our best to keep up with the demand,” Saenz said. “We had our busiest year ever in 2023 with 10.7 million passengers. We can’t wait for the GLF to be ready and we’re just four years out from having our new terminal. Each time we’re awarded more of these grants, it’s an investment in our future.”
Officials also celebrated another win for the airport last year with the announcement by Condor Airlines that it would launch direct service from SAT to Frankfurt in May 2024 — the airport’s first nonstop flight to a European destination.
Also on Thursday, the FAA awarded $3 million for a new terminal building at Kelly Field Airport at Port San Antonio.
“We appreciate the ongoing and widespread support we continue to receive from the FAA and an array of other partners as we keep building this campus as a true global tech innovation hub,” said Jim Perschbach, president and CEO of Port San Antonio.
“This award is an important reaffirmation of our work and another key step as we continue moving forward to ensure this campus and our community are on the leading edge in the development of multiple technologies, including the launch and adoption of the latest advancements in air transportation.”
