A 300-pound steel beam destined for the top of the new airport terminal now under construction was rolled on a trailer into downtown San Antonio on Thursday afternoon.
In keeping with construction tradition, local leaders signed their names on the 12-foot I-beam that, when installed, will mark the halfway point of a long-anticipated project that doubles the size of the San Antonio International Airport (SAT).
“The first one went up in January,” following a groundbreaking in December 2024, said Accenture’s David Brandenburg, executive program manager for the terminal development program.
By this December, crews will have the facility closed up and the utilities turned on so they can begin the interior work on the $1.7 billion Terminal C scheduled to open in 2028.
That should not be taken for granted, said the city’s Director of Aviation Jesus Saenz.
“We’re in a really, really good spot as we talk about the scope of the overall program, the schedule of the program, and the overall financing of the program. We couldn’t be in a better position,” he said.
Driving into the airport in the departures and arrivals lanes, motorists can now see the angled rooflines of the new terminal emerging from construction fencing — aluminum curtain walls that frame the structure and laminated timber lining the underside of the ceilings.
Four tower cranes hover overhead, soon to be reduced down to three as work progresses.
At least 40 contractors and about 700 construction workers are on the site six days a week, including several local contractors, Brandenburg said, and another 100 workers will be there by December. Hensel Phelps is the general contractor, and Dallas-based Corgan and San Antonio-based Lake Flato are the architects on the project.
The project is spending $2 million a day, he added.
Terminal C takes shape
The terminal cost is supported by funding from FAA grants, the bipartisan federal infrastructure bill, airport revenue and fees and airport bonds.
With framing nearly complete, stairwells installed and some glass in place, the halfway-completed structure is starting to feel like an actual terminal with ticket areas, 18 gates, retail kiosks and wide concourses.
Ceiling heights rise to 30 feet throughout the concourse and a massive space for the security checkpoint has been designated in the eastern part of the terminal. Saenz said the project has earmarked millions of dollars for high-tech security checkpoint systems.
An outdoor patio overlooking the runway has been built and spaces for planters and art installations have been outlined in the spacious concourse. One such work of art will be a massive piñata suspended from the ceiling.
Two 10,000-square-foot airline club lounges are also taking shape, one near the gates for Delta and another on the mezzanine for American Airlines. A 44,000-square-foot food court is being built under the mezzanine level.
Escalators that ferry passengers from international flights at the arrival gates to the federal inspection services processing on a sub-level have been installed. Also on that level will be baggage handling.
Adjacent to the site, to the west, land has been cleared for construction of a $132 million parking garage that will open in late 2027, just ahead of the new terminal. The garage will provide 10,000 more vehicle spaces at the airport. Parking is one of the airport system’s largest non-airline revenue sources.
On the east side of the terminal is a connection to Terminal B, which will undergo renovations — and get a larger United Airlines lounge — as soon as the new terminal is completed. Terminal A is also slated for a major overhaul at the same time.
Terminal C is planned as an 850,000-square-feet facility, larger than the other two terminals combined, with gates designated for American, Delta, Alaska Airlines, Southwest, and international carriers.
A long-awaited upgrade
The new terminal is being built on the site of the airport’s original WWII-era terminal, a one-level passenger facility that was later expanded for the world’s fair, HemisFair ‘68.
In the works since San Antonio City Council approved the airport’s wide-ranging $2.5 billion strategic development plan in 2021, Terminal C is coming along at a time when air travel and the economy have struggled to rebound since the initial post-COVID wave.
Passenger numbers have dipped this year as air travel costs increased, Spirit Airlines has departed SAT for good, and the city has grappled with a budget crisis and major financial commitments in an uncertain economic environment.
The city’s newly adopted $4.4 billion budget for fiscal year 2027 came in 8.6% larger than the previous year’s budget, with airport construction accounting for 6.3% of this year’s budget growth.
Still, Saenz said the timing is right. “We have a solid airline use and lease agreement with our carriers, and that entire terminal is spoken for — no one is saying I don’t need those gates,” he said.
The aviation team is moving ahead with plans for the existing terminals and the “political support” behind the program is strong unlike some cities where he’s worked, said Brandenburg, who’s overseen five other terminal expansions during his career.
“Everybody was aligned,” he said. “Because they made great decisions, we are where we are — scope, schedule, budgets, all in great shape.”
Now those milestones will be celebrated at the construction site next week with a topping-off ceremony when the signed beam is placed.
The city manager’s office provided a statement on the achievement.
“The new terminal will position San Antonio to accommodate continued growth, attract new opportunities and better connect our community globally,” City Manager Erik Walsh stated. “Just as importantly, we’re seeing San Antonio businesses and workers play a direct role in building this future, making this a project that truly belongs to our community.”
