The new terminal covering an area of 72,000 square feet sports a blend of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and public artistic pieces. The terminal features one airline ticket lobby, one passenger security screening section, a large departure lounge comprising five boarding gates, and a baggage claim space with all rental car counters.
The departure lounge will be housed in the second floor of the terminal building. The screened travellers will be allowed access to eateries, restrooms and travel supplies and glimpses of the encompassing landscape. Plans are also on to build a new eatery downstairs by the end of 2011.
The jet airline boarders will make use of glass boarding bridges whereas the smaller plane travellers will board on the ground through an escalator, stairs, or elevator to the aircraft parking ramp. Arriving travellers will get off the plane into the upstairs departure lounge and use an escalator, stairs, or elevator down to the central lobby and baggage claim area.
The terminal development project is worth $54 million and also involves a new aircraft parking ramp, shifting and rehabilitation of the 1942 segment of the present terminal, a new short term parking area as well as frontage road.
