After years of passenger frustration over malfunctioning equipment and outdated infrastructure at Miami International Airport, the Miami-Dade County Commission received its first quarterly report on the badly needed upgrades. NBC6’s Hatzel Vela reports
After years of passenger frustration over malfunctioning equipment and outdated infrastructure at Miami International Airport, the Miami-Dade County Commission received its first quarterly report on the badly needed upgrades.
“So this report basically…breaks it down into needs, improvements that we have to make, and also how they’re going to be addressed,” said Ralph Cutie, Miami International Airport CEO.
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WATCH HEREWithout much discussion or questions, the County Commission voted to accept the first report, which lays out what has been done and what is left to be done at one of the country’s busiest airports.
Cutie tells NBC6 on the issue of elevators, escalators and moving walkways, there has been ‘tremendous progress.’
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“December of 2023, we were at about 85% operation, Christmas of 2024 we’re at 95% operational, that’s a significant improvement in operational capacity of our conveyance systems,” said Cutie, who added $681 million have been invested in conveyance systems.
“I’m satisfied,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner J.C. Bermudez, who represents Doral and areas close to it.
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The report, he added, signals a change in culture.
“It was just an accumulation of many years of…just placing bandages and not saying we need to put some dollars and try to make this a better place,” Bermudez said.
Cutie wants the public to understand they are actively addressing every single pain point the public has reported and more projects are on the way.
The central terminal, which is about 70 years old, is about to get a facelift worth about $750 million. The massive central terminal will break ground in 2028 and is expected to be completed by 2031.
“So mechanical, electrical, plumbing, things behind the wall — all that will be addressed as part of the central terminal,” Cutie said.
Walk around the airport and you’ll run into a message from Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who touts the upgrades at Miami International, the massive travel hub which saw 56 million passengers pass through last year. It has been rated the number two airport when it comes to international passengers.
“If you ask me what keeps me up at night is that — being able to continue to operate and keep our customers satisfied while at the same time improving, building and repairing,” Cutie said.
