JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Changes are underway at the Jacksonville International Airport to make flying easier for travelers.
There are big plans for a new six-gate concourse and a third parking garage, which will add 2,000 parking spots to the airport.
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority approved $100 million for a new six-level parking garage earlier this year.
CEO Mark VanLoh said the aviation authority is working to keep up with demand.
“Of course, you get more people flying in,” VanLoh said. “You need more places to park and you need more gates for the airlines. It’s just one big snowball, so we’re doing everything we can to try and build everything at once.”
Plus, new technology upgrades at security checkpoints will help TSA bring flyers through more quickly, with additional screening lanes.
Vanloh said the goal is to have that complete by Thanksgiving 2023.
“That is all changing,” VanLoh said, “so once that is done this summer that security checkpoint will be twice as fast as it was.”
A new Concourse B will add six more gates for planes and another six as needed.
“If you’ve been here at night late, you see all the airplanes parked here,” VanLoh said. “We need more gates, desperately, because we’ve got more airlines coming to town and more service coming to town.”
The airport hasn’t broken ground on the parking garage or Concourse B. Those projects are expected to be complete around 2025.
A new Firehouse Subs opened in the Jacksonville International Airport Monday, near Concourse C.
It’s just a preview of the shape of things to come as airport authorities continue expanding.
“When they travel, they want to eat local,” VanLoh said. “They want to try something new and a lot of people, although Firehouse is now an international brand, our other brands are not and they will be someday by people experiencing them and then going back home, and saying ‘Hey, let’s have some of that again.’”
Southern Grounds will also open a location inside the airport soon, offering not only caffeine, but a bar with food.
“We’re not getting fed on airplanes anymore, unfortunately,” VanLoh said, “so they said we need more places to eat in Jacksonville Airport, so we’re starting to see that now and we wanted to do local companies. Of course, Fire House was born in Jacksonville, as Southern Grounds was and Burrito Gallery, so we wanted to have a Jacksonville flavor.”