Asheville Airport ‘on schedule’ to complete new north concourse as record growth continues
FLETCHER –
Between the moving concrete and tall steel frame of what will become the new Asheville Regional Airport’s north concourse, airport President and CEO Lew Bleiweis is practically exuberant to talk about the progress they’ve made to build their new north concourse.
The project wasn’t always envisioned as a multiyear, $400 million expansion and creation of a new terminal. In 2017, the airport was just looking at the sixth expansion of the original 1961 terminal, but after consultants hired to develop the long-term plan for the project eventually told airport staff the “existing building was not applicable or going to work,” Bleiweis said the answer was clear.
“We needed a brand new terminal,” he said. “This is what has been born out of that process,” Bleiweis continued, smiling under a dark blue hard hat in the shade of the recently completed frame of the north concourse.
Progress on the Expansion Project
Recent progress on the expansion project known as “AVL Forward” indicates the team is on time to complete the north concourse, Bleiweis said, putting it on pace to complete the whole project within the approximately three-and-a-half year timeline. The project, mostly funded by government bonds and state grants, will bring the airport from seven gates to 12, while expanding the current square footage of the airport by about 150%, modernizing boarding bridges and establishing new amenities including nursing facilities, new concessions, ticketing, and a “pet bathroom,” Bleiweis noted.
In the first phase of the project, the airport will add a north concourse and then pivot operations to the new building. After that, the airport will demolish the south concourse, followed by another year-and-a-half of construction to build it anew. After Phase 1 and 2 are complete, Phase 3 will require a year of expected “back of house” construction, setting the final timeline for the project to be complete sometime in 2027.
Continued Growth Amid Construction
Throughout this first phase, the airport’s growth has not slowed down. In 2023, passenger numbers soared to an all-time high, with 2.2 million passengers passing through the airport, a 22% increase over 2022, and passenger travel to the mighty regional airport hasn’t slowed down over the first few months of 2024. By the end of the year, they’re likely to break that record again, Bleiweis said.
From what the airport has reported in its first three months, over 440,000 passengers traveled through the airport by the end of March. It’s a 9% increase compared to the same three-month period in 2023. “We just believe and feel that from prior history that we’re just going to continue to grow,” Bleiweis said.
Airport Growth and Nonstop Flights
The relationship between nonstop flights, provided by several airlines including Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta, and United, has created a strong foundation for the growth of the regional airport that now claims the spot as the third busiest in North Carolina, Bleiweis said.
Since Allegiant started serving the airport in 2011, the discount carrier has grown its nonstop flight locations from Asheville from just four Florida-based airports to 19 different locations across nine states. Many are coming to Asheville via Florida, Bleiweis said, citing the increased number of Floridians to Asheville being a popular second-home, tourism, and retirement location.
Among those coming to the region from Florida is AVL Forward’s project manager John Baumeister, who moved to Mills River just recently to work on the project. Baumeister works for general contractor Hensel Phelps, which won the terminal modernization project bid in 2020.
Construction Challenges and Passenger Adjustments
The massive effort to bring the new terminal to life has not been without some major changes to airport functions. Currently, passengers board all planes on ramps, rather than bridges, to keep as much space for planes as possible. Construction in the baggage claim area has required the airport to move the rental car check-in.
After the completion of the north concourse in summer 2025, airport staff indicate boarding bridges will return while some construction and temporary phasing for the project will still be required, including a temporary checkpoint area in the new concourse.
Other passenger difficulties have centered on parking, with passengers previously telling the Citizen Times “parking options are tough during peak travel times” at the airport. AVL Forward doesn’t include a new parking solution, though the airport has recently opened more lots and has indicated its long-term master plan will eventually guide them to the development of a new parking garage.
Call for Patience
Through it all, airport staff are asking the community to have patience. The airport encourages passengers to arrive two hours before their flight takes off. “We are restrained with the construction going on, and we just hope that our community has patience while they are flying through and using our facilities,” Bleiweis said.
