Inside Colorado Springs Airport's $63M makeover
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Inside the revamped Colorado Springs Airport. Photo: Courtesty of Colorado Springs Airport
Colorado Springs Airport is showing off its new digs after a major terminal makeover.
Why it matters: Colorado's second-largest airport wants to make flying easier and comfier for its nearly 2.5 million annual passengers as it seeks to avoid losing too many passengers to Denver's airport.
Follow the money: The $63 million makeover of the 12-gate airport was funded in part by $27.5 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
- Airport revenue, including passenger facility charges, covered the rest, aviation director Alex Kovacs tells Axios. No local taxpayer dollars were used.
Context: The renovations came out of the airport's 20-year master plan in 2022, Kovacs says. Construction got underway in September 2023.
- The master plan called for development exceeding $1.2 billion — including adding possible gates — but Kovacs says the airport settled on improvements with considerably lower costs.
What's new:
- Clearer signs, revamped seating with greater accessibility and refreshed bathrooms.
- More energy-efficient exterior windows.
- The Lounge Colorado Springs — offering food and drinks for $38 for a day pass.
- Expanded dining options, such as Colorado Craft, a local brewery, inside the terminal.
- Behind-the-scenes tech updates to the passenger processing system to streamline boarding and to make security screening more efficient.
The bottom line: Kovacs calls the airport a gateway to the Pikes Peak region and Southern Colorado.
- "We want to make sure that the first and last impression that people come to Colorado Springs … is a positive one," Kovacs said.
What's next: The airport plans to add new food options, like Einstein Bros. Bagels, Smashburger, and Street Eats by Brother Luck.