American Airlines is the dominant carrier at my home airport of Miami International Airport (MIA), and arguably Miami is by far American’s strongest coastal hub. Well, the airline and the airport authority have just announced plans to invest $1.1 billion in the airport, including a significant expansion to the existing terminal space (this is part of the airport’s overall $12 billion modernization).
Here’s how American CEO Robert Isom describes this:
“Miami is an important hub and gateway for American, and it’s an essential part of our history and our future. The brand new, re imagined D60 is a transformational project that will provide a much-improved experience for our customers and our team. This investment — alongside new premium lounges and new routes — reflects our shared commitment with Miami-Dade County and the airport to deliver a consistent, elevated customer experience.”
Of course the challenge is that any long term gain comes with short term suffering. It remains to be seen what exactly Miami Airport’s plan is while work is performed to build the concourse, since presumably this will get in the way of standard operations at gate D60.
Miami Airport has been spending many billions of dollars modernizing, though unfortunately unlike at some other airports in the United States, this isn’t coming with a huge, splashy new terminal. Instead we’re seeing some updates to existing facilities (like broken escalators being fixed), plus slight extensions of existing concourses and terminals.
American Airlines and Miami-Dade County are investing in Concourse D at Miami International Airport, which will include the construction of a new 17-gate concourse expansion. Essentially the space currently taken up by gate D60 will instead be a full indoor concourse expansion, with proper new gates, rather than ramps.
