Nashville International Airport Development thread

[NashRugger]

32 minutes ago, go_outside said:

The FAA has temporarily blocked the State's airport board takeover, pending the outcome of Nashville's legal challenge to the state law. From Axios Nashville:

In a letter Monday, the FAA told the city and the Airport Authority leadership it will recognize the existing board of directors until the litigation reaches its conclusion.

Good, and I honestly think the city has a good chance of winning this and other litigations against the state. 

[Luvemtall]

12 minutes ago, NashRugger said:

Good, and I honestly think the city has a good chance of winning this and other litigations against the state. 

Good news, when will the State Legislature figure out that they can’t just bully their own objective and punish simply because they feel they want to. Last I checked it’s still a democracy, with rules and regulations and oversight. They seem to have no objection to the Constitution both Federal and State, until it provides for others the same protections than it’s a different story. Hopefully the people will remember and vote responsibly 

[Sean blackdog]

Last Sunday evening. 
 

BNA Vision Plan 

International Arrivals Facility 

 

Hilton Hotel 

Satellite Concourse 

 

 

[Sean blackdog]

Today this morning from Facebook. 
 

Look at that hotel progress! The highly anticipated on-site Hilton hotel will offer 292 guest rooms, luxury suites, a high-end restaurant, a grand bar and music lounge, an indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge, an outdoor pool with incredible views & more. Opening late 2023. 

[markhollin]

The Airport has installed exit lane breach control doors at A/B and C/D Concourse exits. Sensors automatically open the one-way exit door to the Grand Lobby as passengers approach. The addition alerts BNA to security breaches and allows for seamless traffic flow.

https://flynashville.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Passenger-FAQ-dormakaba-Exit-Lane-Breach-Control.pdf?utm_term=nashtoday&utm_campaign=daily-newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=nashtoday&utm_content=nashtoday

[AsianintheNations]

Driving past the airport on I-40E this weekend, I noticed that there were exit signs recommending different exits for Departing (216A) and Arriving (216B) flights at BNA, which I don't remember being there before. I just double-checked myself on google maps and it matches what I remember, with 216A being marked as "Int'l Airport" and 216B being marked as "Air Freight." If this change is accurate, I assume the goal is to try to avoid the massive backup of cars at the 216A exit, but does anyone know if this is a temporary or permanent change in signage?

[Deepdish53]

8 hours ago, AsianintheNations said:

Driving past the airport on I-40E this weekend, I noticed that there were exit signs recommending different exits for Departing (216A) and Arriving (216B) flights at BNA, which I don't remember being there before. I just double-checked myself on google maps and it matches what I remember, with 216A being marked as "Int'l Airport" and 216B being marked as "Air Freight." If this change is accurate, I assume the goal is to try to avoid the massive backup of cars at the 216A exit, but does anyone know if this is a temporary or permanent change in signage?

Not sure how permanent it is, but I'd assume if this is the fix for the traffic situation until Donelson Pike can get relocated and the traffic flow within BNA can get reworked then the signage will probably be there for a good while.

For what it's worth, it seems like this may be a good fix if folks start using this system. Exit 216B ends up looping you in to the left side of traffic at the choke point, while Exit 216A brings you in on the right side. One of the major contributing factors to why 216A is currently backing up on the interstate consistently is people are parked in their cars at arrivals waiting for folks. The resulting line of cars blocks all three lanes of traffic because cars are going from the right side to the left, which means people can't get to departures which is relatively free flowing in comparison. If 216B is marked for arrivals, that long line of folks behind parked cars can be kept to the left side of the choke point (and ultimately spill out on to Donelson Pike instead of I-24 if necessary), keeping the right side clear for folks coming in from 216A to go to departures.

[PruneTracy]

9 hours ago, AsianintheNations said:

Driving past the airport on I-40E this weekend, I noticed that there were exit signs recommending different exits for Departing (216A) and Arriving (216B) flights at BNA, which I don't remember being there before. I just double-checked myself on google maps and it matches what I remember, with 216A being marked as "Int'l Airport" and 216B being marked as "Air Freight." If this change is accurate, I assume the goal is to try to avoid the massive backup of cars at the 216A exit, but does anyone know if this is a temporary or permanent change in signage?

It's temporary and a response to vehicles queueing onto Interstate 40.

In the current ultimate buildout, all terminal traffic enters via the discrete access from I-40 (216A, the exit with the monument signage). However, this exit will be two lanes with one each for departures and arrivals; there will also be access to all lots from this exit without going through the terminal area (as opposed to existing conditions, which requires drivers to pass through the terminal to reach the economy lots from discrete access).

Exit 216B in the ultimate buildout does not provide ready access to the terminal; it would require a lap around the elongated Terminal Drive. However, it will improve access from eastbound (into downtown) traffic as well as from Donelson Pike in either direction.

tl;dr once construction is complete you will enter at 216A from downtown for virtually all airport destinations.

[Melrose]

1 hour ago, Deepdish53 said:

Not sure how permanent it is, but I'd assume if this is the fix for the traffic situation until Donelson Pike can get relocated and the traffic flow within BNA can get reworked then the signage will probably be there for a good while.

For what it's worth, it seems like this may be a good fix if folks start using this system. Exit 216B ends up looping you in to the left side of traffic at the choke point, while Exit 216A brings you in on the right side. One of the major contributing factors to why 216A is currently backing up on the interstate consistently is people are parked in their cars at arrivals waiting for folks. The resulting line of cars blocks all three lanes of traffic because cars are going from the right side to the left, which means people can't get to departures which is relatively free flowing in comparison. If 216B is marked for arrivals, that long line of folks behind parked cars can be kept to the left side of the choke point (and ultimately spill out on to Donelson Pike instead of I-24 if necessary), keeping the right side clear for folks coming in from 216A to go to departures.

Similarly,  I have also seen how cars attempting to get across 3 lanes of traffic to the Valet entrance on the far left here is causing a lot of snarls right where this photo is taken. 

It seems like it should have been set up so Valet customers would have been routed just like Terminal Garage customers and Rental Car returns, who all go left at the previous split  off of the 216A ramp and then drive around the North side to enter the garages from the East.   Maybe they could have used the Rental Car return lane jointly for Valet as well. 

[Sean blackdog]

June this year. 
2,065,931 passengers. 
July maybe other 2 million passengers. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by Sean blackdog

[downtownresident]

So close to 22 million for the Financial Year! 

[Chato_reyes]

Flew out to MYR today, parking shuttles, check in, and TSA were smooth. Starbucks was 10 minutes in line+30 for 2 drinks and a muffin. I know there's 30 coffee shops but holy crap. I can appreciate wanting "local flavors" in the airport but sometimes your kid wants a pink drink and nothing else and that's just unacceptable. Didn't get to do much more exploring after that but I am curious if D6 will be chopped as part of building an extension on the concourse. That or the boarding area will need to be rejiggered significantly.

[Sean blackdog]

Today this morning from Facebook. 
 

A good lookin' view if we do say so ourselves 

[markhollin]

Some analysis on the airport's record-breaking year in passengers from NBJ:

The rapidly growing airport saw 21.9 million total travelers, up 18.7% from fiscal year 2022, which saw 18.4 million passengers.

May 2023 proved to be a record-breaking month for BNA with 2,071,705 passengers. On May 7, 39,745 passengers were screened through the checkpoint.

An average of 300 departures and 300 arrivals operate at the airport daily, and BNA has a record-breaking 99 nonstop destinations. 

In the last fiscal year alone, BNA opened its new 200,000-square-foot Grand Lobby and 215-foot pedestrian bridge, opened 18 new concessions, added two nonstop routes, opened a new cell lot and opened Garage B.

BNA is an integral piece to Nashville’s $8.8 billion tourism industry, both of which are poised to grow in the coming years. 

[Sean blackdog]

On 7/12/2023 at 11:24 PM, AsianintheNations said:

Driving past the airport on I-40E this weekend, I noticed that there were exit signs recommending different exits for Departing (216A) and Arriving (216B) flights at BNA, which I don't remember being there before. I just double-checked myself on google maps and it matches what I remember, with 216A being marked as "Int'l Airport" and 216B being marked as "Air Freight." If this change is accurate, I assume the goal is to try to avoid the massive backup of cars at the 216A exit, but does anyone know if this is a temporary or permanent change in signage?

Here we go. 

[BnaBreaker]

^off topic, but doesn't it sort of defeat the purpose of having a shoulder if you plop a guard rail right into the middle of it?  

[PillowTalk4]

9 hours ago, BnaBreaker said:

^off topic, but doesn't it sort of defeat the purpose of having a shoulder if you plop a guard rail right into the middle of it?  

I agree.  Quite honestly, I'm wondering why did they not choose to do a longer exit lane to go southbound on Donelson Pike.

[MLBrumby]

Isn't all of that temporary while the new Donelson Pk. interchange is built? 

[Nothingspectacular]

BNA really needs to accelerate the timetable for replacing the Concourse A. I flew in/out of A recently on United and can attest to how crowded, hot and totally unappealing it is. The rest rooms were not clean and the AC was really struggling. 

[MLBrumby]

1 minute ago, Nothingspectacular said:

BNA really needs to accelerate the timetable for replacing the Concourse A. I flew in/out of A recently on United and can attest to how crowded, hot and totally unappealing it is. The rest rooms were not clean and the AC was really struggling. 

Is the plan to replace the existing portion, or to extended it in an L-shape with additional gates? And wasn't it recently "upgraded" as the temporary International gates?

[NashRugger]

Plan is a full replacement and extension.

Those "upgrades" were just to have a separation to Customs for disembarking int'l flights versus any true concourse upgrades. Literally just a temporary bandage until the new T gates go live. 

[Chato_reyes]

Returned from MYR on Saturday and have the following to report (no pics unfortunately):

Sheetrock going up on the outside of the bus station in C.

6/6 airlock style exit lanes done on A/B side, 2/6 done on C/D. The C/D ones were set to open and there was an officer standing (sitting) guard on the secure side.

WN continues to load 3 flights on one baggage carousel while others sit vacant. Maddening.

Parking shuttles need work. A lot. The queueing area for economy C put you in front of the exhaust and air brakes for the larger shuttles.  Perhaps B and C can line up double file pointed away from the disruptions? Would like to see the abandoned ground level infrastructure used for parking shuttles as they are subject to the same awful traffic everyone else is currently.

On the topic of Economy the lower third of the lot remains roped off and the exits inoperable. 2/3 exit lanes at main plaza opened and the lines got rather long as the machines are finicky. You'd think that a facility operated almost as a for-profit entity would try and sell everything they can.

Overheard WN employees on the parking shuttles talking about lofty goals: nearly doubling staff and getting up to 10 turns per gate. 

Hotel skin looks great from the view of approaching the terminal. Hopefully they are on track for a 2023 opening, that rooftop pool deck will be one of the better planespotting spots in the country.

I'll be back 8/3 and will try and get more pictures of the inside.

[CenterHill]

4 minutes ago, Chato_reyes said:

Returned from MYR on Saturday and have the following to report (no pics unfortunately):

On the topic of Economy the lower third of the lot remains roped off and the exits inoperable. 2/3 exit lanes at main plaza opened and the lines got rather long as the machines are finicky. You'd think that a facility operated almost as a for-profit entity would try and sell everything they can.

Agree with you.  The exit pay stations are using very old ticket stub/card reader equipment.  They struggle to process newer credit cards with chips. Several times now I’ve had to cancel and start over with a non chip card.   My assumption is the Airport is postponing modernizing the pay stations until the economy lots and interior loop are all redesigned after the Donelson Pike relocation.  

[markhollin]

Three Tennessee judges heard a litany of complaints and acrimony among Nashville leaders, the airport, the FAA and the state, via their attorneys, in an emergency court hearing Friday.

At issue is whether Nashville's mayor or top state leaders have majority control of the Metro Nashville Airport Authority that oversees business at Nashville International and John C. Tune airports. Gov. Bill Lee signed a law on May 19 giving himself, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, six of the eight board appointments.

Metro Nashville sued for a temporary injunction on June 30 to stop the July 1 seating of state appointees, arguing the county's power was being unconstitutionally stripped. In protest, Cooper refused to appoint the two seats allocated to him under the new rule. Five vacated airport board members have met in the mayor's office and are seeking to be reinstated as the true governing officers with the help of a Metro-funded attorney.

"The state is so eager to target Nashville that it draws boxes around Nashville. But the Tennessee Constitution says you can't do that," Assistant Metro Attorney Melissa Roberge told the three-judge panel. "Because this act specifically regulates Metro Nashville, it violates the local legislation clause. What would end the tension is a decision on the likelihood of success of the merits."

The panel deciding which board will prevail includes Scott County Criminal Court Judge Zack Walden, Davidson County Chancery Court Judge Anne C. Martin and 29th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Mark Hayes. They said they will set a schedule next week to quickly resolve the issue in the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts.

More at The Tennessean here:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2023/07/29/judges-hear-arguments-in-airport-board-fiascojudges-hear-arguments-in-nashville-v-tennessee-airport/70487281007/

[Sean blackdog]

Today this morning from Facebook. 
 

Progress of the Satellite Concourse.