A brand new fifth terminal is coming to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport -- and it's set to be completed in 2026.
Airport officials broke ground at an event on Monday afternoon, but there are several lingering questions about exactly how this is coming to be and what travelers should expect.
How much will the new terminal cost?
The work on FLL's fifth terminal has been valued at an estimated $404 million.
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Those funds will help create a two-level, five-gate domestic terminal, according to FLL. It will reportedly feature sections for check-in, ticketing, baggage processing, security screening as well as retail and food spots.
This is FLL's first ground-up construction of a new terminal in decades.
Who is paying for it?
Local
The funds for the construction of this new terminal reportedly came from a mix of airport bonds, grants from the Florida Department of Transportation as well as passenger facility charges.
The Broward County Aviation Department (BCAD) received approval for the Master Plan Update from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation in early 2021, according to FLL's website.
The project will be overseen by JetBlue Airways in partnership with tech company Parsons.
Why is another terminal necessary?
The project is part of the FLL Master Plan -- and one of the major goals is to meet the increase in airline and passenger demand in the future.
FLL is reportedly expected to grow from its current 35 million annual passengers to almost 52 million per year within the next 20 years.
JetBlue's President and COO Joanna Geraghty spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony -- noting that the expansion will allow the company to reach more than 250 daily departures by 2027, following its planned combination with Spirit Airlines.
What are some notable benefits?
Broward County administrator Monica Cepero also made remarks at the groundbreaking, saying after the terminal's competition, it is anticipated to create between 1,000 and 1,200 permanent jobs.
And during construction, the Terminal 5 (T5) project is reportedly poised to generate 3,400 direct and indirect construction-related jobs.
In addition, more than a dozen small businesses will be involved in various aspects of the multimillion-dollar project.
According to the Master Plan, the terminal will also include an internally looped people-mover to help folks get around and the airport will gain a new hotel and commercial center.
Later on in construction, older concourses will reportedly be replaced.
Will the parking situation get worse?
In short, no -- parking should not become more of a headache.
The new construction is set to address parking, as the Palm Garage will be replaced with one to add more space -- in hopes of keeping up with the increase in passengers.
How do frequent flyers feel about the changes?
There has been concern about how the new terminal will impact traffic in the area.
NBC6 spoke to some passengers, ahead of the groundbreaking on Monday, for their thoughts on the expansion.
“I think it’s the price worth paying because it seems like it’s going to have so many positive benefits moving forward," said frequent FLL flyer Ab Rama Swami. "So, it’s something we’ll have to deal with short term, but overall, it’s going to be good for Fort Lauderdale and good for the community."
