The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport will see some major upgrades later in February.
The airport, 6033 S. Sossaman Road, will open a $28 million, five-gate, 30,000-square-foot terminal on Feb. 20 that will bring more flights, jobs and businesses to the location.
The new terminal will replace an old four-gate, 10,000-square-foot portable the airport had used since 2008. The added space will allow for more flights in and out of the airport and will also bring new retail, dining and commerce locations in the airport, which will lead to a growth in jobs, according to Phoenix-Mesa Airport director of communications Ryan Smith.
“The expansion of the Gateway Airport terminal, with five additional gates and retail space, is greatly needed as passenger service continues to rapidly grow,” said Mesa Councilmember Scott Somers. “The expansion will provide passenger comfort and room to add more flights and airlines.”
The new terminal came with funding from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that enabled the airport administration to apply for and receive a $14.4 million grant from the Department of Transportation that helped the airport construct the terminal in early 2022.
“The old terminal was too small and it had outgrown its usefulness,” Smith said. “We could only operate one or two terminals at a time during COVID. We knew we needed more space... After we were awarded the grant, we kicked into gear and fast-tracked the design. We knew the need was there.”
The new terminal will provide plenty of benefits, according to Smith. The modernized design is more accessible and efficient. It’ll make navigating the airport easier for disabled persons as well as families or adults traveling with senior citizens, Smith said.
“Our old terminal was just portable buildings you see in classroom and schools. (If you were disabled), you had to take a ramp up. It was accessible but it certainly wasn’t as convenient as the rest of the airport was. Now we have one continued flat walkway. We also have a family restroom and mother’s room,” Smith said. “The facility is much more energy efficient, the windows are shaded, we have more efficient skylights, overall it’s much more efficient.”
Smith said he believes the upgraded terminal will have a strong economic impact for the city. The airport will also see an increase in flights and customers that would not have been possible with the portables.
“The new retail locations will create a lot of new jobs at the airport. The airlines adding new destinations and new flights will result in more hires,” Smith said. “We anticipate a 19% increase in the number of flights over the summer as we continue to grow and add more space. Allegiant and other airlines will find opportunities to grow amid this new terminal space.”
Somers agrees with that sentiment.
“In regard to economic impact, the most recent study from 2021 shows the airport generates a $1.8 billion economic impact. We know that number has grown because 2023 was Gateway Airport’s busiest year ever,” Councilmember Somers said. “The airport is expecting a 19% increase this summer over last year and the new terminal expansion will help with handling passenger capacity.”
Mesa Mayor John Giles is excited about the updated terminal.
“It’s been in temporary buildings for years now, thank goodness for the Bipartisan Infrastructure (Law) that’s been providing the funding,” Giles said. “...We were able to use that funding to add some critical transportation infrastructure to the southeast valley. The gateway airport is an amazing success story and this is going to add to that.”
Smith is confident this new space will have the airport set for the next decade. In 2023, Smith said the airport had its busiest year ever with over 1.9 million passengers compared with five years earlier, where the airport had over 1.4 million passengers. According to data sent by the airport, there was a growth of more than 478,000 passengers between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2023.
Two commercial carriers, Allegiant Airlines and Sun Country Airlines fly regularly out of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway.
Smith believes that the airport will only continue to grow with this new expansion.
“This should take us through the next 10 years of airport growth,” Smith said. “Our goal is to have a growth upward of three million passengers over the next decade.”
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is operated by the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority. PMGAA consists of representation from Apache Junction, Mesa, Queen Creek, Gilbert, Gila River Indian Community and Phoenix.
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