Airport director Victor White said that the terminal design will strengthen the long claim that Wichita is the ‘Air Capital of the world’. The terminal will feature modern architectural design and enlarged ticketing and baggage claim areas on the main level. Each panel of the facility will be designed to highlight Wichita’s history and the people related to it through photos, videos and text.
The upper concourse of the terminal features waiting areas, concessions and an enhanced passenger security screening along with 10 boarding gates.
The aprons of the airport where aircrafts are parked will receive a facelift soon. The installation of the pipes for the utilities on the site will commence by late 2009. The former air cargo facility will be demolished.
Wichita’s prominence in the air industry will be exhibited in the building design itself. The terminal’s swooped roof will resemble flight’s wing and ceilings will remind of aircraft cabin headliner.
The wing shaped structure will feature metal leading edges and will be painted in the colors of an aircraft in construction. The facility will be flooded with skylight thanks to lots of glass and sidewalk canopies. The city’s rich history will also be displayed through the terminal design.
The new terminal will be a state-of-the-art modern architectural design displaying aviation themed exhibits which will be an integral element in the terminal’s design.
The terminal construction is expected to be funded by passenger fees, facility charges, airport revenues, rents, landing fees, and from Federal Aviation Administration and Homeland Security grants.
Bids for the terminal construction will be awarded by late 2009 after the financial plan has been reviewed by the city council.
