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Airport Improvement Program

Designed to accommodate 8.4 million annual passengers (MAP), the Thomas F. Riley Terminal serves nearly nine million passengers per year. As a result, the Airport’s commercial passenger facilities are being stretched to, and in some cases beyond, their design capacity.

In order to meet the growing needs of the traveling public, the Orange County Board of Supervisors has approved the policy, environmental and financial foundations for the construction of substantial new facilities at JWA.

 
PROGRAM COMPONENTS

The Airport Improvement Program will create additional terminal area capacity in the form of new aircraft gates, hold rooms, concessions, passenger/baggage screening capabilities, and more parking. It will also help redistribute traffic between Terminals A, B and C, thus achieving a balanced operation throughout the terminal complex. A key objective of the Airport Improvement Program is to ensure that the new facilities are designed and developed in a way that creates a single, seamless environment for passengers.

The components of the Airport Improvement Program are segregated into four geographic areas:  (i) Terminal (between the curbfront and aircraft); (ii) Landside (parking structures and roadways); (iii) Airside (airfield, Remain-Over-Night (RON) aircraft parking, fueling, taxiways); and (iv) Ancillary (miscellaneous projects).

Specifically, the Airport Improvement Program includes:

Terminal:	New multi-level Terminal C (282,000 square feet) Six (6) new bridged aircraft gates (for a total of 20 bridged gates) Dedicated facilities for six (6) total commuter aircraft at ground level
Landside:	Parking Structure C, Phase 1 (2,000+ spaces) Parking Structure C, Phase 2 (1,000+ spaces)* Central Utility Plant to provide chilled water to heat and cool the terminal complex
Airside:	Reconfigured South Remain-Over-Night aircraft parking area Extension of existing aircraft hydrant fueling system
Ancillary:	Additional right-turn lane on Campus Drive to Bristol Relocation of air cargo facilities and operations

 
CONSTRUCTION STAGES

Based on constraints of the site, and in an effort to minimize impacts to airport operations and passengers, the Airport Improvement Program will be constructed in stages. 

Stage 1 (completed September 2008), the South Remain-Over-Night (RON) aircraft parking area was extended south and east of its existing location.  A portion of this area is used for temporary passenger parking, “Parking Lot C”, while Terminal C and the new Parking Structure C are built.

Stage 2 (completed June 2009), the existing Parking Structure B1 was deconstructed to make way for Terminal C.

Stage 3 includes construction of Terminal C, a new Parking Structure C, north and south commuter/regional terminals, as well as a Central Utility Plant.

Stage 4, Terminal C and the new Parking Structure C* will open and aircraft will begin to park on the new South RON in late 2011. 

*Construction of Phase 2 of Parking Structure C will begin sometime after Terminal C is open and operational and based on the need for more parking and the availability of funding for the project.

The Airport Improvement Program includes construction of a new South Remain-Over-Night (RON) aircraft parking area, a new multi-level Terminal C with six new commercial passenger gates, new security checkpoints, new commuter facilities as well as new Parking Structure C and a Central Utility Plant.

Last updated: January 2011