America’s airports are getting a massive makeover. From coast to coast, terminals old and new are being redesigned to handle record passenger volumes, tougher sustainability standards, and changing traveler expectations. After years of pandemic disruption and strained capacity, 2025 is shaping up to be a banner year for construction, with billions of dollars in public and private funding flowing into terminals, runways, and supporting infrastructure that will make these big US airports even bigger still.
Big hubs like San Diego, San Francisco, and Newark are breaking ground on next-generation terminals designed for flexibility, efficiency, and comfort. Mid-size airports like Sacramento and Columbus are also expanding aggressively, vying to capture new domestic and international routes. With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other federal funding streams injecting life into long-delayed projects, the next wave of airport construction will define how Americans fly for decades to come.
Here’s a closer look at some of the standout terminal projects taking shape in 2025 — and why they matter.
1. DFW International Airport Terminal F
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW Airport) is undergoing one of the largest airport expansions in the U.S. Terminal F is a flagship project within DFW’s $12 billion “DFW Forward” capital plan, which also includes a $3 billion transformation of Terminal C and improvements to Terminal A.
Recently it was reported that the project had reached a major milestone by moving six massive prebuilt modules into place using self-propelled transporters across closed runways. This innovative modular construction approach reduces on-site disruption by installing mechanical and electrical systems offsite. The expansion will add nine new gates by 2026 and includes a full rebuild of the Terminal C parking garage. DFW is also using this method for Terminals A and the planned Terminal F. The project is managed by HNTB, KAI, ADPI, Austin Commercial, Azteca Enterprises, Alpha & Omega, HOK, and Muller & Muller. In August 2025 DFW completed assembling the structural framework for the initial stage of its new Terminal F.
2. San Diego International Airport (SAN) – Terminal 1 Replacement
San Diego’s New T1 is one of the most ambitious airport projects on the West Coast. The aging Terminal 1 is being demolished and replaced with a sleek, sustainable 19-gate facility. In addition to modern gates and lounges, the project includes expanded roadways, a massive parking structure, and significant sustainability upgrades. The new terminal will feature 30 gates in total, modernized food and retail options, and a baggage system capable of processing up to 2,000 bags per hour during peak travel times. The first 19 gates will open in September, with the remaining 11 gates scheduled for completion by 2028.
3. John Glenn Columbus International (CMH) – Brand-New Terminal
Columbus is stepping up to match its growth. The new terminal will cover more than a million square feet, adding seven gates, a spacious new marketplace, an integrated parking deck, and an elevated pedestrian bridge. The groundbreaking is scheduled for 2025, with a ribbon-cutting planned for 2029. In February The Columbus Regional Airport Authority Board (CRAA) approved over $350 million in additional funding for the $2 billion John Glenn Columbus International Airport new terminal project
4. Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) – Terminal Modernization
Pittsburgh (PIT) is betting big on sustainability and local pride. The Terminal Modernization Program is building a 700,000-square-foot landside terminal and a 3,300-space garage, powered partly by the airport’s own microgrid. Expect a bright, airy design that incorporates local materials and green features when it opens in late 2025 at a cost of $1.57 billion.
5. Sacramento International Airport (SMF) – SMForward Program
Sacramento’s SMForward initiative is reshaping the passenger experience with new gates, a state-of-the-art pedestrian walkway, a huge new garage with electric vehicle charging, and an improved ground transportation hub. The walkway is scheduled to open in spring 2026, with major concourse expansions beginning in late 2025.
6. Tampa International Airport (TPA) – Airside D Terminal
With traffic booming, Tampa is finally adding a new airside terminal — its first in nearly two decades. The 16-gate Airside D will boost international capacity and improve passenger flow with expanded lounges, retail space, and state-of-the-art security processing. Completion is planned for 2028. The new Tampa International Airport Airside D Terminal will cost approximately $1.5 billion and cover around 600,000 square feet
7. Nashville International Airport (BNA) – New Horizon Plan
Nashville’s “New Horizon” expansion reflects Music City’s rapid rise. The new extension to Concourse D opened on July 8th 2025 with five additional gates, local dining an outdoor terrace, and the airport’s only moving walkway in the terminal right now.
Concourse A is currently being rebuilt. It will feature more outdoor terraces and moving walkways.
8. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) – Terminal 3 Revamp
Fresh off its award-winning Harvey Milk Terminal 1, SFO is now revamping Terminal 3. The multi-phase project will modernize one of the airport’s busiest hubs, adding open spaces, upgraded gates, and new retail. The overhaul runs through 2029 and helps SFO compete as a top West Coast international gateway.
9. Orlando International Airport Terminal C Expansion
Orlando International Airport (MCO) is moving ahead with a major upgrade to Terminal C, aimed at boosting capacity and improving passenger flow. The expansion includes construction of a 450-foot elevated, enclosed, and air-conditioned pedestrian bridge, eliminating the need for travelers to cross a parking garage. The bridge will directly connect Terminal C to the Train Station, Terminal Link people mover, and Parking Garage C, and will feature an adjacent rental car lobby.
The project also adds four new multifunctional gates (250-253) at the south concourse. Designed as MARS (Multiple Aircraft Ramp System) gates, they can accommodate up to eight aircraft positions and will be equipped with Common Use systems for flexibility between domestic and international flights. An expanded apron, along with ramp, taxiway, and remote aircraft parking upgrades, will support the increased gate capacity.
10. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) – CLEvolution
Cleveland is finally tackling a long-needed rebuild. The CLEvolution project modernizes ticketing, security, gates, and roadways in phases through 2032. Phase 1 construction starts in 2025, bringing more space and improved flow to a terminal that’s served the city since the 1950s. Cleveland City Council approved new legislation that will launch construction of the brand-new $1.6 billion terminal slated to open by 2032,
11. Miami International Airport Concourse K
Miami International Airport has officially broken ground on Concourse K, its first terminal expansion since 2007. The project marks a major step in the airport’s $9 billion “Future-Ready Modernization in Action” initiative aimed at overhauling air travel infrastructure.
The $600.6 million project will transform the airport’s capabilities, delivering six new gates, an aircraft apron with a fuel hydrant system, and significant improvements to both ground operations and baggage handling.
12. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Atlanta’s proposed $1 billion municipal-bond borrowing will play a pivotal role in upgrading terminals at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, ensuring the world’s busiest airport keeps pace with growing passenger demand. A major focus of the rehabilitation program is terminal modernization, which includes revamping the domestic terminal complex with striking new architectural elements, such as the signature steel roadway canopies that improve both functionality and aesthetics.
13. Chicago O’Hare International Airport Satellite Concourse 1 and 2
Chicago O’Hare International Airport’s major expansion is advancing with a revised timeline and new funding. First announced in 2018, the project will modernize the airport with more gates, smoother passenger flow, and greater global capacity. Due to rising costs, construction now starts with Satellite Concourse 1 — designed by SOM, Ross Barney Architects, Arup, and JGMA — set for completion in 2028, followed by the Studio Gang-designed Global Terminal in 2032. A tunnel, people mover, and Satellite Concourse 2 will finish by 2034. The project adds 25% more gates and a second customs checkpoint, boosting United and American’s hub operations.
In August 2025, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport officially broke ground on its New Concourse D, a landmark $1.3 billion development that represents the first major phase of the airport’s expansive terminal modernization plan. The 590,000-square-foot concourse will introduce 19 new gates, designed with built-in flexibility to convert 18 of them into nine wide-body gates, enhancing O’Hare’s capacity to accommodate larger aircraft and strengthen international connectivity.
14. San Antonio International Airport
San Antonio International Airport has announced a $500 million interim financing initiative as part of its $2.4 billion, six-year improvement plan, aimed at advancing the $1.6 billion terminal project and other key upgrades across airfield, transit, IT, and infrastructure systems.
15. Memphis International Airport
Memphis International Airport (MEM) has launched its largest project to date—a $700 million terminal modernization led by Turner Construction in partnership with Ardmore-Roderick and Chris Woods Construction. The program, building on the renovated B Concourse completed in 2022, aims to strengthen seismic resilience, expand capacity, and improve the passenger experience while preserving the airport’s mid-century architecture.
What It Means
Together, these projects show how the US aviation sector is embracing sustainability, smarter design, and greater capacity — all while keeping day-to-day operations running. With billions invested and millions of travelers to serve, 2025 will be a milestone year for the future of American air travel.
