By Chris Sloan/Particular to Keys Weekly
Over the previous few years, guests’ and locals’ nostalgic island expertise of traipsing throughout the steaming tarmac at Key West Worldwide Airport has been changed with a labyrinth of development, delivery containers quickly serving as tunnels, and a nearly standing-room-only departure space finest described as purgatory. Even Seward Johnson’s iconic, welcoming bronze sculptures of arriving vacationers that had been lengthy perched atop the ramp decamped almost two years in the past for their very own facelifts.
That period of humid tarmac hikes with hefty baggage ended on Monday, April 14 at 7 a.m.
And whether or not you lament the lack of tropical traditions, or welcome the air-conditioned upgrades, Key West Worldwide Airport has an entire new look today. With the early-morning pushback of Delta Air Strains flight 1072 to Atlanta, EYW’s new Concourse A was cleared for take-off. As an alternative of putting up with blast-furnace warmth or soaking rain showers, passengers left the gleaming, ultra-modern, 48,802-square-foot, new concourse and boarded the Airbus A319 through considered one of eight air-conditioned glass jet bridges – the primary ever within the Florida Keys.
“You fortunate folks; you might be on the very first flight out of the brand new airport on the primary jet bridge out of Key West,” Delta agent and native performer Mitch Jones introduced to thunderous applause and cheers. Even at that early hour, most passengers had been wowed and shocked at what they had been experiencing, although some locals wistfully waxed nostalgic about lacking strolling to the planes outdoors on the ramp.
The long-anticipated world-class concourse opened with the primary flights easily departing on time regardless of some expertise snafus: inoperative PA methods, sideways flight info screens and IT and WiFi points. However the hovering, spacious structure little question alleviated a number of the stress, with airport workers taking all of it in stride.
The smooth new concourse would be the envy of main hubs — highlighted by a glass curtain wall assembled with 446 panels of electrochromic glass that may can face up to 200mph winds and change between clear and opaque states.
However why are there dots on the glass? It’s for the birds. The glass wall panels characteristic bird-safe glazing — a sample of small dots each 2 inches is fused to the glass to disrupt chicken teams from seeing their reflection. Airport officers and the design group met with native wildlife preservation teams to assessment their issues and achieve approval for the sample.
The brand new EYW is chock filled with facilities: voluminous area, pure mild, glowing marble-walled bogs, comfy beneficiant seating with worktables, USB and AC energy, free WiFi, and most noticeably — the $1 million ThyssenKrupp all-glass jetways at every of the eight gates, that are nonetheless a rarity in america. (Be aware: Silver Airways passengers can nonetheless expertise the fun of an out of doors tarmac trek, as these planes are too low for the brand new jet bridges to entry.)
The lights went down on the previous concourse with a Sunday evening American Airways arrival from Miami, and the ultimate race was on for departures to start early Monday morning. Personnel labored by means of the evening to make the in a single day switchover.
“There is no such thing as a simulation to be completed beforehand. All of the electronics have to only change over from downstairs to right here,” Monroe County Aviation Director Robert Strickland mentioned in October.
The continued development is analogous to altering the tire on a race automotive whereas nonetheless operating a race, as Key West Airport and the Decrease Keys skilled their largest growth in journey throughout the buildout interval. With three new airways, seven new nonstop routes, and an 80% enhance in obtainable seats since 2019, the airport transformation was overdue.
Airport and airline crews, who had been working in overdrive studying jet bridges and new IT methods, significantly during the last week, had been elated on the opening, however acknowledged a lot work stays. The power stays a development zone.
There’s way more to come back
With a short lived certificates of occupancy in hand, EYW is in a smooth launch mode with a grand opening deliberate for the primary section of enhancements on Tuesday, Might 21.
Concessions are nonetheless a piece in progress, because the airport presently solely has a Farm2Air Market and a short lived Conch Flyer bar.
Nonetheless to come back for departing passengers are a Chili’s restaurant, a Southern Level bar and a brand new Conch Flyer, an EYW custom since again within the previous Air Sunshine days within the Nineteen Seventies. Further distributors will spherical out the package deal.
The subsequent section of development, which needs to be completed by summer time 2026, will embrace a brand new pedestrian bridge, a four-lane TSA checkpoint, a brand new baggage declare and arrivals space with a brand new two-carousel baggage system that’s double the present dimension (thank goodness), rental automotive counters and a protracted First Name Seaside Bar will supply thirsty vacationers their first margarita.
“There shall be extra space and depth for everyone to have the ability to breathe and transfer round in baggage,” Strickland guarantees.
Key West air journey continues to soar
The upgraded terminal, which Strickland says is the biggest single public venture in Monroe County historical past, showcases the Keys’ emergence as a premium vacation spot. The earlier 7,000- square-foot departure maintain room dated again to the unique terminal’s 1957 opening, and had lengthy outlived its expiration date even after a 2009 enlargement.
All of the whereas, Key West’s air site visitors boomed post-pandemic from 969,069 passengers in 2019 to 1.45 million in 2024, with Key West Worldwide Airport having fun with one of many quickest development charges of any U.S. airport. And that development continues, as Key West newcomer Breeze Airways will start service on the new terminal on June 12, initially providing nonstop service to Orlando and Tampa.
Inbound guests account for 96% of site visitors at EYW, with native outbound passengers accounting for the small remaining steadiness. Of all of the in a single day guests coming to the Florida Keys, 24% fly into the Key West airport, whereas 21% p.c fly into Miami after which drive a rental automotive down the island chain to their lodge or trip rental.
General, 42% of vacationers arrive by private and rental automobile, in line with a 2024 evaluation commissioned by the county’s Vacationer Improvement Council. Diverting extra leisure-based air site visitors into Key West is a development alternative for the airport, and probably may scale back the variety of automobiles on the Abroad Freeway.
Airport development & funding
The county fee accredited development of the brand new $100 million facility in October 2021 because the journey growth reached its peak. The venture broke floor a 12 months later in November 2022. Monroe County chosen a joint-venture agency, Kendall-based NV2AGulf and the native Inventory Island-based Keystar Building, as lead contractors.
Taxpayers aren’t footing the invoice for the brand new facility.
“The venture was fully funded by $41.34 million in bond proceeds, Florida Division of Transportation grants, FAA grants, PFCs (Passenger Facility Expenses), and airport revenues. No native tax {dollars} had been used,” EYW communications director Katie Atkins mentioned in an April 14 press launch saying the smooth opening.
Enhanced consumer charges for airways, elevated rents and concession revenues shall be used to pay again greater than $40 million in bonds.
Monday’s smooth opening was about six months late from the unique goal, which is taken into account regular by trade requirements. However the venture isn’t affected by value overruns infamous with tasks of this scale.
As for the lacking Seward Johnson sculpture depicting a luggage-toting household of vacationers? Concern not. The “New Buddies” sculpture will as soon as once more welcome folks to the Southernmost Metropolis. However they, too, will change their outdoors perch for the air-conditioned consolation of the brand new arrivals corridor subsequent 12 months.
Keep tuned to keysweekly.com as the brand new and improved Key West Worldwide Airport continues to take form.
— Particular due to Chris Sloan, an aviation journalist and Key West resident, for offering the Keys Weekly with unique protection. For extra aviation info, go to theairchive.web and see extra of Chris Sloan’s Key West movies on YouTube at TimeFliesTravelVideos.