Baltimore/Washington Worldwide Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is prepared and prepared if Southwest Airways finalizes its much-hinted-at plan for airport lounges.
That was the message from Maryland Aviation Administration Government Director Shannetta Griffin as she stood within the light-filled central atrium of BWI’s new connector, which provides a brand new — and extra spacious — hyperlink between concourses A and B.
If Southwest does determine so as to add a community lounge, because the provider has hinted at, BWI has the house for it.
“We’re definitely hoping for [a Southwest lounge], and in the event you may discuss to Mr. Jordan, I’d recognize it,” she mentioned, referring to Southwest CEO Bob Jordan.
Jordan has hinted repeatedly over the previous 12 months that the airline may add lounges, a first-class product and even long-haul worldwide flying. On lounges, he informed CNBC earlier in December that Southwest was “actively pursuing” the thought.
BWI is Southwest’s third-largest base by each seats and departures, and its largest within the japanese U.S., schedule knowledge from aviation analytics agency Cirium reveals. And, whereas the airline is within the midst of essentially the most dramatic modifications in its historical past, the airport stays a essential dot on its route map and one that would turn out to be much more essential if it decides to launch transatlantic flights sooner or later.
As for that $500 million A-B Connector, which BWI claims is its largest venture ever, it should enhance the expertise for Southwest flyers.
It provides 142,000 sq. toes inside safety, reclaiming house from 5 gates to open up a direct route on a single degree between concourses A and B. Beforehand, passengers needed to stroll again to the primary terminal space after which climb as much as and traverse the meals court docket when connecting between the concourses. It was all “airside” — or previous safety — however was a little bit of a circuitous journey for passengers.
Put one other method, vacationers connecting between concourses A and B adopted one thing of a “U” formed path. The brand new connector hyperlinks the 2 ends of the U.
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The 5 gates that the brand new house changed have been pushed out to the west and rebuilt in keeping with each concourses A and B, a single facility BWI opened for Southwest in 2005 for $264 million, or $440 million in as we speak’s {dollars}.
BWI opened a $48 million five-gate extension of Concourse A for Southwest in 2021.
“Southwest appreciates the management from the Maryland Aviation Administration and the State of Maryland to convey the airport’s largest capital venture up to now to fruition,” a Southwest spokesperson mentioned. “The A/B Connector venture will enhance the passenger expertise and permit us to serve much more prospects with our unmatched hospitality and reliability.”
The spokesperson declined to touch upon whether or not Southwest was contemplating BWI for a lounge.
“We now have gotten a dedication from Southwest that we are going to proceed to be their largest East Coast — and so they don’t essentially use the phrase ‘hub,'” mentioned Griffin, looking for the fitting phrase for the airline’s massive base at BWI. “However their East Coast supplier.”
Southwest carried 71% of the 26.1 million vacationers who handed via BWI through the 12 months ending in September, the airport’s newest visitors knowledge reveals.
The spotlight of the brand new connector is the central atrium, the place a glass ceiling covers an open house out to the gate areas. Whereas not completely column-free, it’s an expansive vista that’s uncommon at BWI, an airport higher recognized for its low prices and performance than beautiful structure. The house will characteristic shops of native concessions by subsequent summer season, airport officers mentioned.
“When folks come into the airport, that is the primary place they arrive and the final place they see after they come again from their travels,” mentioned Griffin. “Ensuring our passengers are protected, they’re snug [and] then they’ve this open house now that could be very completely different from the rest they’ll see within the airport.”
And, simply to verify vacationers know they’re in Maryland, three ducts spanning the whole thing of the brand new glass atrium are wrapped within the state’s flag.
There’s a lot to love in regards to the new connector: Flooring-to-ceiling home windows give vacationers an expansive view of the runways past. The restrooms are consistent with BWI’s award-winning normal. And the jet bridges are partially glass, a rarity at U.S. airports.
Beneath the brand new connector is a brand new baggage processing system that may deal with as much as 3,200 baggage an hour for Southwest, mentioned the airport’s venture supervisor, Robert Kleinman. The present system can solely course of 2,100 baggage an hour.
