Construction projects at ECP airport are close to their goal

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Many construction projects at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport will soon reach their final destination.

“We are just beginning to complete two construction projects,” said Parker McClellan, general manager of Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.

One of these is the luggage room, where passengers’ checked luggage is stored so that it can reach the aircraft. Another project is the expansion of the North Terminal.

“It’s essentially finished, it’s operational now, we’re just finishing up a few aesthetic things,” McClellan said.

Another project is the expansion of the North Terminal.

“We expect to be finished by the end of October, and that will be a 12,000-foot extension of the reception area,” McClellan said. “They’re just finishing everything up, they’re doing the floors, they’re doing some of the low-voltage electrical, there are little things that still need to be finished.”

More concessions are to be added in the future.

There are numerous construction projects underway at Northwest Florida Beach International Airport, all aimed at accommodating growth and ensuring passengers can move quickly through the airport and reach their destination.

“When it opened, there were a total of 312,000 passengers; today there are between 1.8 and 1.9 million,” McClellan said.

To transport these passengers, an additional escalator will be built.

“The escalator and stairs go down around Gate 5 and up from Gates 6 and 7,” McClellan said.

There will be one staircase and two escalators. Airport officials say with that growth comes expansion. Staff are working to expand the North Terminal, but funds are still needed.

The cost of the expansion, the addition of luggage space and the installation of an additional escalator amounts to around 11 million dollars.

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