Jacksonville Airport’s progress sparks talk of international flights

300 million Construction of a $100,000 concourse at Jacksonville International Airport that could offer new dining options for travelers and possibly international flights — Mexico and the Caribbean are two possible destinations — Oct. 24. reached the midway mark with the closing ceremony.

Before the final piece of steel in the plaza’s structure was placed, construction workers and Jacksonville Aviation Authority officials were able to sign their names on the steel beam that was used on Oct. 24.

Some added messages: “Keep soaring JAX!” “Get out!” “Dollar, dollar bills, everything.” “Jacksonville Keeps Flying.” “Job Protection!!!” “The other side has arrived.” “A year in the making.” “We did it!”

The “We Did It” message was written by Mark VanLoh, CEO of the Jacksonville Aviation Authority. in 2018 he became general manager in Jacksonville and said he thought about all the challenges the project faced when he signed his name to the beam.

“It was a huge relief when you work so hard on a project and then unexpected things like COVID or steel tariffs, anything you can imagine, get thrown at you,” he said as he watched a crane lift the signature beam into place. – And finally being here is just a relief.

Here’s what’s in store for the construction project, which will continue next year.

When will passengers start to use Terminal B?

The goal is for construction to be completed by 2026. the end The aviation authority doesn’t have an exact date for when that will happen, given the holiday travel season in 2026, although Van Loh said: “I was promised a Christmas present. I’ll leave it at that.”

The closing ceremony marked the end of the structural phase of construction, so the dimensions and shape of the building can now be seen where it extends between the existing A and C Squares.

Since construction began 15 months ago, crews have removed 15,000 cubic yards of pavement, driven more than 600 piles into the ground, poured more than 2,500 cubic yards of concrete and installed 4,500 pieces of steel. To date, the project has worked a total of 300,000 hours.

In the coming years, construction will continue on the exterior, such as the windows, and later on the interior of the square.

What additional flights will be available to Jacksonville?

Tender B will begin with six new gates to be used by American Airlines, which is the first carrier at Jacksonville International Airport.

The opportunity for growth arises because in 2024 the airport reached an all-time record for travelers of about 7.6 million. passengers, breaking the previous record achieved in 2023.

VanLoh said the airport would like to add direct flights to more U.S. cities such as San Francisco and Seattle, but the focus is on international flights along with the new internet.

“I’d like to see the Caribbean and Mexico at once,” he said.

What new restaurants are expected at Conference B?

VanLoh said the additional restaurant space will bring several new dining options to the airport. The names of those facilities could become public when the Jacksonville Aviation Authority board votes on the agreements at its November meeting, he said.

He said these are the “restaurants that everyone has been asking us to bring to the airport for years.”

What is the opening time for the new car park?

Another major construction project at Jacksonville International Airport is a new 2,000-space parking garage to accommodate the growing parking demand that comes with more people flying out of Jacksonville.

Friendly Sky: Jacksonville International Airport ranks 4th in US customer satisfaction survey

This garage must be built at the same time as the square.

This article originally appeared in the Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville International Airport meeting is halfway there.