An Airport Terminal Was Rebuilt While Planes Kept Flying

Hollywood Burbank Airport has opened a brand-new passenger terminal, and the unusual part is how it got there: the building went up from scratch while the old one kept handling flights. The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority managed the project, and executive director John Hatanaka has been the public face of the opening. For anyone who has circled a construction-choked terminal, the idea that service never stopped is a notable achievement.

Travelers will notice the practical changes first. Valet parking is available in the parking structure, and rideshare pick-up and drop-off now sits only steps from the building. Inside, there is an airfield-view bar and a rotating display of work by local artists, while the airport has kept its much-loved outdoor boarding, a quirk that long set Burbank apart from larger Southern California airports.

The design also changes how the terminal sits on the site. The new building is separated further from the runways than its predecessor, and it adds earthquake-resilience upgrades and updated accessibility features. Those are the kinds of behind-the-scenes improvements passengers rarely see but that matter in a region where seismic safety is a constant planning concern.

Coverage of the opening links it to the run-up to the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, when Los Angeles will need every airport option it can offer. The reports do not give an exact opening date, cost or capacity figures, so travelers planning a trip should check the airport’s own channels for current operating details before they go.

Sources: Future Travel Experience, AviationPros