Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport may not build a new Concourse G as it had planned as part of its $6 billion expansion and modernization plan.
The plan to build a 10-gate Concourse G that would connect to the international terminal is turning out to be more expensive than the $983 million original cost estimate — though airport officials are not saying how much more.
The new concourse was originally planned to be completed around 2026 to accommodate expected growth in international flying.
But since 2014, when the first draft of the master plan was made public, "a lot of things changed," said Hartsfield-Jackson general manager Roosevelt Council.
Instead, the airport is now considering a smaller expansion of international gates by lengthening international Concourse F with four to six more gates. Meanwhile, it is also working on plans to add domestic gates by extending Concourse T.
The airport had already completed an environmental assessment through the Federal Aviation Administration for Concourse G, and held a public workshop on the plans last year. Hartsfield-Jackson interim assistant general manager of planning and development Tom Nissalke said he will need to ask the FAA how to proceed, given that the environmental assessment was on Concourse G rather than an expansion of Concourse F.
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The FAA said the city has not submitted a proposal for additional gates on Concourse F.
“We would need to see details of the proposed project,” the FAA said in a written statement. The airport would then be required to conduct the appropriate environmental analysis and submit to the FAA for review and approval.
Extending Concourse F would require reconfiguration of part of the existing air traffic control tower site and relocating a Delta employee parking deck, Nissalke said.
In contrast, to make way for a new Concourse G, the airport would have to move a number of buildings, including the west half of Delta’s cargo operation, Gate Gourmet flight kitchens, aviation maintenance buildings and a fire station. Three Georgia Power substations also would need to be relocated. Nissalke has said all of the relocations would be “a big challenge.”
The airport’s master plan for the next 20 years originally included not just Concourse G, but also the potential for Concourses H and I extending east.
While international gates are little used for stretches of the day, during peak periods for departures to Europe, there are few vacant international gates, according to Nissalke.
There hasn’t been a final decision yet on the international gate expansion.
“It’s still fluid, it’s still evolving,” said Hartsfield-Jackson chief financial officer Greg Richardson.
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