Burbank’s Airport Now Has You Boarding Planes Outdoors, With a Bar Before the Gate

Hollywood Burbank Airport opened its long-awaited replacement terminal to passengers on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, after the old terminal ended passenger service the day before. Reports have put the project at about $1.3 billion. The new building has 14 gates and about 355,000 square feet, roughly 53% larger than the facility it replaces.

The old terminal’s facilities date to 1930, sit too close to the runways under current FAA standards, and fall short of modern seismic, building code and accessibility requirements. The new design consolidates everything in one central building, with a single eight-lane security checkpoint and an indoor baggage claim with three carousels.

Passengers will still board outdoors, with no jet bridges, a throwback the airport has kept. Inside, there are wider corridors, more seating, wireless charging at gate tables and an open-air bar past security. The terminal is all-electric with a 750-kilowatt rooftop solar system, and the airport is pursuing LEED Gold certification.

Airlines operating at the airport include Southwest, Alaska, American, Delta, United, JetBlue, Breeze, Allegiant and Frontier. A parking structure with about 2,000 spaces and roughly 310 EV charging ports is open around the clock, and a pedestrian path links the terminal to the Burbank Airport-North Metrolink station. For Los Angeles-area travellers, it is a rare airport upgrade that is genuinely about convenience.

Sources: Pasadena Now, Alaska Airlines