Salt Lake City Spent 12 Years and $5.1 Billion Rebuilding Its Airport

Salt Lake City International Airport has completed its 12-year, $5.1 billion rebuild, with the last section of Concourse B becoming operational on October 27. The final phase adds seven new gates, five of which United Airlines will use while two are common-use. The New SLC Redevelopment Program began in July 2014 and replaced three older terminals with a single central terminal and two linear concourses, according to Aviation Week.

The airport, a hub for Delta Air Lines, opened the project in stages. The first piece arrived in September 2020, when Delta became the sole tenant of Concourse A and its 25 gates. When fully complete, the new terminal has 94 gates and space for 101 concessions. Nearly 25,000 workers were employed on the program over its life.

The scale of the change is clear in the passenger numbers. The old terminal was designed for 10 million passengers a year, yet Salt Lake City handled 26 million in 2019, before the first part of the new terminal opened, and 28 million in 2025. That means the airport ran far above its original design capacity for years while construction continued around it.

For travelers connecting through Utah, the end of construction should mean fewer detours and temporary walkways, along with more gates and food and shopping options. The airport is the gateway for Utah’s ski resorts and national parks, so the added capacity matters for seasonal peaks. The airport has scheduled an event to mark the completion of the project.

Sources: Aviation Week, Salt Lake City International Airport