UTILITY UPGRADE

Underground utilities, many which were original to our 1961 building, were upgraded along Terminal Drive, in partnership with the City of Asheville and Metropolitan Sewer District.

GROUND TRANSPORTATION LOT UPGRADE

We reconfigured our ground transportation lot to centralize all modes of ground transportation. 

SOUTH APRON EXPANSION PROJECT

An expansion of our south apron was under construction throughout 2020, which will result in much needed additional aircraft parking space, in 2021.

NEW PARKING AREAS

Prior to the pandemic, our parking areas were at capacity during peak travel times. A remote shuttle lot with 300 spaces was completed in summer 2020, and will be commissioned when needed as growth returns. The cell phone lot was relocated to this new parking area in summer 2020.

PURCHASE OF BROADMOOR GOLF LINKS

The Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority purchased Broadmoor Golf Links, the public golf course adjacent to the Runway Protection Zone on the south end of the airport. The purchase was strategic, allowing for future nonaeronautical revenue diversification, as well as upholding the FAA’s requirement that airports promote compatible land use in areas near the airport.

The extraordinary growth at AVL during the past six years revealed the tangible need for a larger and modernized airport terminal — at a more accelerated pace than master planning had predicted. The first step — an 18-month architectural design process.

Highlights include:

PUBLIC INPUT

We began the year with a significant public input process that ultimately identified the key design goal for the expanded terminal: to design a “modern gateway humbly rooted in timeless natural beauty.”

OPERATIONAL GOALS IDENTIFIED

Important operational goals were also identified, based upon careful analysis of growth trajectories, future aircraft fleet mix at AVL, and the projected physical space needed for airport operations for the next 15-20 years:

• Expansion of the terminal from 7 gates to 12 gates, with ample room for passenger flow
• Additional aircraft parking space
• Expanded and modernized ticket lobby, TSA screening, baggage claim, concessions space
• Centralized power plant
• Flexible design, to allow for enhancements and innovations as air travel evolves

OUR KEY PARTNERS:

• Architecture Firm:  Gresham Smith
• Construction Manager:  Hensel Phelps
• Local contractor:  Vannoy Construction

The design will be completed in 2021, with construction most likely starting in 2022.

VIEW CONCEPT RENDERINGS

NEW AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER

In order to prepare for the expanded airport terminal, the existing air traffic control tower will eventually need to be demolished.  This means a new tower must be constructed.  In 2020, the planning for this project began with the Federal Aviation Administration.

 2020 was unlike any other year in the history of aviation, with travel nearly ceasing in the month of April, followed by a slow partial recovery through the year. Though the year was tough from an air service perspective, AVL was one of the more fortunate airports in the country. Airlines maintained most routes (at lower frequencies), and even added or announced new routes during the year. Our airport’s passenger throughput, by percentage, was consistently above the national average, a positive indicator for continued recovery.

 

 

AMERICAN

Early in the year — American announced new seasonal weekend service to Chicago and Washington, D.C., and daily service to LaGuardia (New York City). These new routes were suspended when the pandemic occurred.

 

 

ALLEGIANT

Prior to the pandemic, Allegiant announced four new seasonal routes:  Austin, Boston, Chicago and Houston. While start dates were delayed, all four routes were launched by late summer 2020. Allegiant also announced nonstop service to Las Vegas would start in March 2021 — the farthest west-bound nonstop destination ever served from AVL.