Hollywood Burbank Airport Unveils $1.3 Billion New Terminal with Modern Amenities

Hollywood Burbank Airport Opens New Terminal

After nearly three years and $1.3 billion in construction costs, Hollywood Burbank Airport officially opened its new terminal on Tuesday morning. The debut marks a significant transformation for the airport, replacing its historic 1930s Spanish Colonial Revival facility with a larger, contemporary space designed to offer passengers a streamlined and modern travel experience.

Spacious Design and Modern Art Features

The new terminal, located at Winona Avenue and Hollywood Way, is about 50% larger than the previous facilities combined, now spanning approximately 355,000 square feet. The terminal stands out with high ceilings, contemporary art such as a mirrored grid installation by Glenn Kaino, and illuminated steel sculptures by Cliff Garten at the main entrance. Travelers also encounter terrazzo floors, abundant charging stations—primarily USB-C ports—landscaping featuring cacti and succulents, and even a few lingering 'wet paint' signs as the finishing touches are applied.

Early Arrivals, Departures, and Passenger Reactions

The new terminal’s inaugural departure was Alaska Flight 3401 to Santa Rosa at 7:03 a.m., with 33 passengers on board. The first arrival, Southwest Flight 189 from Las Vegas, landed at 7:16 a.m. with 30 passengers. Southwest pilot Mike Petros remarked on the novel taxi route and made passengers aware they would arrive at a new terminal.

Many travelers, such as Tanya Radke from Van Nuys, expressed surprise but praised the improvements, citing similarities to recent upgrades at other airports. Some, like William Langlois and Annie Cerillo from Tampa, noted growing pains such as limited food options and a need for more security lanes on opening day.

Operational Enhancements and Accessibility Upgrades

Despite its expanded size, the airport maintains its two runways and 14 gates, as before. Boarding via outdoor tarmac steps from both the front and back of aircraft remains a favored feature among passengers. The distance from entrance to the farthest gate has been reduced from 1,600 feet to 1,285 feet. Corridors are wider, and every seating area now offers device charging. The number of TSA security lines has increased from five to eight, and baggage claim is now housed indoors.

Retail amenities are still rolling out; while most of the six retail stores were open, the majority of the 13 food concessions were not fully operational on opening day. Grab-and-go options were available, and additional dining—including locations like Guy Fieri’s Flavor Town, Spring Chicken, Diane’s Farm Table and Italian Market, Jones Coffee, and Pete’s Pub—were set to open later in the week.

Parking, Transit, and Environmental Features

The revamped airport parking structure offers about 2,000 spots and 310 charging ports for electric vehicles, maintaining the prior total of 6,637 parking spaces. Shuttle bus service continues to link the terminal with the Burbank Airport-South Train Station (serving Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner) and the Burbank Airport-North Station on San Fernando Road.

Project Background and Compliance Upgrades

The push for a new terminal stemmed from the outgoing facility's inability to meet current seismic and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) design standards, prompting safety warnings and the need for upgrades. The new design moves the passenger terminal from as close as 257 feet to about 880 feet from the nearest runway, satisfying FAA compliance standards.

Voters approved the terminal replacement project in 2016, and construction began in 2024. In 2025, the airport reported about 6.2 million arriving and departing passengers, with service to approximately 30 nonstop destinations. The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority manages the airport, the second busiest in Los Angeles County, and it remains a popular alternative to the larger Los Angeles International Airport due to its streamlined passenger experience and limited operating hours (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.).

Looking to the Future

Tyron Hampton, president of the Burbank-Glendale Airport Authority, emphasized the importance of people in making the new building a success and projected that the upgraded facility will attract new passengers and businesses. As Burbank's new terminal opens, Los Angeles International Airport's SkyLink people mover project remains delayed, highlighting the steady progress in Burbank’s airport construction and passenger experience improvements.

Source: latimes.com.