HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Upgrades are underway at Huntsville International Airport. "So, the airport has been planning to have some terminal improvements to the concourse area for several years now," Mary Swanstrom, Public Relations Manager for HSV International said. "In the concourse just past TSA folks who have flown through Huntsville International know we have just one elevator and a couple of escalators and if one of those should go down, then that really causes a stressful moment for our passengers. So, this project is going to create redundancy. There will then have two elevators and four escalators as well as the usual stairs."
They are also adding improvements for better ramps access. "So, we're very fortunate to have received a bipartisan infrastructure law grant, a bill grant as it's commonly known and that is a competitive grant," Swanstrom explained. "So, this airport went $10 million, and that money is going to go towards that improvement there behind TSA as you enter the concourse. It might not look like a very large step, maybe 12 steps if you were to climb the stairs but that's a really big obstacle if you're in a wheelchair or you're pushing a baby stroller, or maybe you just had surgery on your foot, and you've got a wheel around. So, we're going to really improve that experience for our passengers."
Huntsville International Airport began construction on a new cell phone waiting parking lot along the inbound lanes of Glenn Hearn Boulevard on June 26. The new cell phone lot will accommodate 72 parking spaces and will be used for guests waiting to pick up passengers flying into HSV. As the airport has continued to grow and welcome additional air service including Breeze Airways, this cell phone waiting parking lot has become essential, said Butch Roberts, CEO of Huntsville International Airport.
“The new cell phone lot will provide a convenient and safe place for guests to wait on arriving passengers,” Roberts said. “We are hoping that in providing this lot, we will see significant improvements for the traffic at the front of the terminal for active passenger loading and unloading.”
Guests can park in the cell phone lot until the arriving passenger calls or sends them a text message that they are outside the terminal and ready to be picked up at the curb, reducing congestion in the front of the airport terminal. The front of the terminal will continue to be used by guests and passengers who are actively loading and unloading. If guests awaiting arrivals prefer to wait inside the terminal, public parking is available in the parking deck and economy lot. The first 30 minutes of parking in any lot at HSV are free. After the first 30 minutes, the cost is $2 per hour up to the maximum per day which is $8 for economy, $12 for deck levels 2-6, and $24 for hourly parking on the first level.
At this time, there are no significant travel delays expected for passengers coming to Huntsville International Airport. However, HSV asks that drivers be alert and exercise caution when arriving to the airport since construction equipment is being delivered and construction traffic is exiting and entering the site. It is anticipated that the construction project will last approximately three months and will cost $600,000.