Part of huge Palm Springs airport expansion could be done by 2030. Here's the latest

Paul Albani-Burgio, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·4 min read
A draft rendering of the Palm Springs Airport Commission's preferred expansion concept.
A draft rendering of the Palm Springs Airport Commission's preferred expansion concept.

Travelers flying to the Coachella Valley toward the end of the decade may arrive at an entirely new concourse.

That concourse, which would be able to accommodate four to eight planes at once, is one of two that could eventually be built at Palm Springs International Airport as part of a planned overhaul to accommodate future growth.

Besides the two new concourses, the redesigned airport would include a new consolidated rental car facility, a center where travelers would access shuttles, ride share cars and other transportation and expanded ticketing and baggage claim areas.

During a recent meeting of the Palm Springs Airport Commission, the plan emerged as the preferred option among four that were put up for consideration by an architecture firm hired to oversee planning for a future expansion. The plan will now be reviewed by the city council at its Jan. 25 meeting.

Here is a look at the plan and the next steps in the process.

Why is an expansion being planned?

The number of people flying to and from Palm Springs has nearly quadrupled since the 1980s, reaching a record-setting 3.2 million in 2023. That number is expected to double by 2042 as growth continues, and airport leaders say a significant expansion is necessary to accommodate it.

Where does the planning process stand?

The expansion is being formulated as part of a master planning process, which airports are supposed to complete about once a decade. As its name suggests, the process sets broad goals and priorities, with detailed design and planning for specific projects to follow.

What's in the preferred plan?

A draft rendering of the Palm Springs Airport Commission's preferred expansion concept, with new terminals (shown in blue) to be built on the north and south sides.
A draft rendering of the Palm Springs Airport Commission's preferred expansion concept, with new terminals (shown in blue) to be built on the north and south sides.

The proposed plan would nearly double the amount of gates at the airport by adding two new concourses. The first would be located on the north side of the property and feature eight gates, which could accommodate eight standard “narrow body” planes or four larger, wide body planes at a time. The second new concourse would be on the south end of the property, replacing the existing Regional Concourse (which is in the process of being renamed the Agua Caliente Concourse). It would have 19 gates. The Bono concourse, which has eight gates, would also remain.

The design would keep the current historic Wexler building that serves as the entrance to the airport. However, a new structure would also be built onto the Wexler building, which would connect to the south terminal and offer more space for ticketing, baggage claim and other purposes.  A consolidated rental car facility would be built to the north of the Wexler building connecting to the north terminal.

How long would it take?

Airport staff have said timelines for construction are difficult to estimate, but that implementation of the full plan could take around 20 years and happen in four stages because the airport will remain operational all along.

The first phase, which would involve planning and building the new northern terminal and rental car facility, could be done in 3½ to five years.

How much would it cost?

The full four-phase project would cost an estimated $2.2 billion. The bulk of the work would be done in the first two phases, which would cost an estimated $880 million and $1.4 billion respectively. However, more exact costs would depend on specific designs.

How would it be funded?

The project would be paid for with a combination of federal grants and bonds issued by the city that would be repaid with airport revenues, airport spokesperson Jake Ingrassia said. He added that city tax revenues cannot be used to fund construction as the airport is financially independent of the city.

When could work begin?

The master planning process by which the airport creates and gets federal approval for plans to accommodate future growth began last February. Ingrassia said that once the plan gets council approval, a review of the concept’s environmental impacts will follow.

That review is projected to take around 18 months after which the plan would go before the FAA for approval. Design work on the first phase could begin after that.

What other concept was considered?

The commission also considered a plan that called for all new airport structures to be built on the south side of the existing property. The estimated cost of that plan was $2.7 billion.

A draft rendering of the alternative plan for expansion of Palm Springs International Airport, which would involve the construction of all new terminals on the south end of the property.
A draft rendering of the alternative plan for expansion of Palm Springs International Airport, which would involve the construction of all new terminals on the south end of the property.

Why did the airport commission prefer the first concept?

The main reason why a majority of the airport commission favored the first option was its cheaper cost. Officials said they were optimistic that they could use traditional funding options for it, while the other option could require the city to enter into a partnership with a private firm to fund the construction and operation.

The commission also favored the shorter overall timeline and the fact the project could be stopped between phases without having as much of an impact on airport operations.

Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs airport plans massive expansion. Here's the latest