Nashville International Airport Development thread

[nashville born]

This is not a good look for the great Volunteer state.  (airport control battle)

Edited July 31, 2023 by nashville born

[markhollin]

A three-judge state court panel on Monday sided — temporarily at least — with a new state-appointed board overseeing the Nashville International Airport.

After a Friday hearing, the panel denied Metro’s request for a temporary restraining order related to a new state law that went into effect July 1 and gave state leaders the majority of appointments to the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, formerly controlled by mayoral appointees.

The court panel did not rule on the merits of the case and cautioned “the parties as well as the public that nothing in this order should be construed as indicative of our view of the merits of Metro’s constitutional claims.” The panel added that Metro should have sued sooner so that the court could have considered temporary relief before the new board was seated last month.

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/politics/courts/court-panel-sides-with-state-s-airport-board-for-now/article_1e4220d2-3064-11ee-94c1-dfe7c30df640.html

[MLBrumby]

As one who favors local representation and self-rule in nearly every level of government, I'm afraid a state-appointed board won't be good for Nashville. Comparing to other state agencies like TDOT and how they let local needs languish, like downtown expressways while they build roads to nowhere, I don't expect a state-appointed board to serve Nashville's best interests. I can imagine some MNAA member from Podunk "deciding" that Podunk needs a shiny new facility for their 250 passengers a year at the expense of BNA. No doubt, there will need to be laws (if they don't already exist) to prevent that. I won't dwell on TDOT's absurd restrictions against debt financing, but it's classic "city thinking" vs. "rural thinking". Any legislation proposed by Nashville's state reps to address the needs of BNA could well be thwarted by a powerful politician from "Greater Hicksville".  I'd like to hear from folks here who know what laws exist to protect MNAA's  independence.

[Luvemtall]

Thanks MLB for those comments, you got the point across without being harsh, I commend you. on the other hand I don’t have the same patience and willpower to hold back on the subject of what certain types of individuals within our State Legislature feel they have a “Right “ to do. I just hope that everyone remembers the importance to go vote and let voices be heard. I will refrain from commenting further. 

[markhollin]

The number of scheduled flights at Nashville International Airport has soared past pre-pandemic levels.

The Nashville airport had 8,888 scheduled flights in July, compared to 7,793 in July 2019, according to statistics from data aviation company Cirium Inc., an increase of 14.1%.

That increase far outpaces other U.S. airports, which saw an average decline of 10.5%.

The number of available seats has grown at an even faster pace. There were 28.5% more seats available in July 2023, 994,765 compared to 1,278,363 in 2019.

BNA reported a record-breaking 2023 fiscal year. The airport reported 21.9 million total travelers, up 18.7% from fiscal year 2022, according to the airport.

Six hundred commercial flights come and go daily, ferrying a record surge of passengers. Operating revenue will jump 25% this fiscal year to $282 million.
 

More at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2023/08/01/airlines-traffic-summer-2023-travel-nashville.html

[Chato_reyes]

Flew to Omaha via St Louis this morning and have the following to report:

-Southwest has expanded into the new ticketing area previously the south checkpoint. It's very strange, there's a dead zone at the corner and then more southwest counter space. I would expect Southwest to scoot down further to make room for Spirit and Allegiant.

-Security took as long as it's ever taken this morning. Volume felt way up this morning.

-Natalies candy jar bulk prices are about $26/lb. I thought we were doing street pricing? Filets at fresh market are cheaper than that.

-Hattie Bs has coming soon art at the bottom of the hill for the C gates on the right side. 

-C bus station still looks a ways off but as you can see in the lousy picture, the concourse looks like it's coming together nicely. Jet bridges have been installed and are being labeled..

St Louis Southwest gates are strange and not preferred to other connection points. I don't like the idea of flying over Nashville to connect through Atlanta on Saturday, but at least there's more than 50 seats per gate.

[Sean blackdog]

BNA Vision Plan 

International Arrivals Facility 

 

Hilton Hotel 

 

Satellite Concourse

[Sean blackdog]

July 2023. 
New record  2,095,551 passengers. 

[downtownresident]

https://swamedia.com/releases/release-7aaeaba8e0ec055676f90327285ebf99-nashville-crew-base

DALLAS – Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today furthered its commitment to Music City by announcing the addition of a Crew Base at Nashville International Airport (BNA) in the second quarter of 2024.Nashville will become the 12th Crew Base in the Southwest® system with approximately 150-250 Pilots, growing to 500-600 Pilots, and an estimated 500-700 Flight Attendants based in the new Crew location beginning in 2024, with continued growth planned.

 

Additional info: 

Southwest Airlines® began service to BNA on March 18, 1986, with eight daily nonstop departures to Chicago (Midway) and Houston (Hobby). Since then, it's grown to operate more flights and serve more air Passengers as the largest carrier at BNA, offering up to 166 departures a day to 57 cities nonstop, and currently housing nearly 1,000 Southwest Employees. To support the carrier's commitment to Nashville, the airline is striving to add four gates in the fourth quarter of 2023 to support its operation with a goal of 20 gates total by the end of the year to serve future Customers flying in and out of Nashville.

Edited August 14, 2023 by downtownresident

[MLBrumby]

3 minutes ago, downtownresident said:

https://swamedia.com/releases/release-7aaeaba8e0ec055676f90327285ebf99-nashville-crew-base

DALLAS – Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today furthered its commitment to Music City by announcing the addition of a Crew Base at Nashville International Airport (BNA) in the second quarter of 2024.Nashville will become the 12th Crew Base in the Southwest® system with approximately 150-250 Pilots, growing to 500-600 Pilots, and an estimated 500-700 Flight Attendants based in the new Crew location beginning in 2024, with continued growth planned.

That's very big news!  Thanks!

[smeagolsfree]

14 hours ago, downtownresident said:

https://swamedia.com/releases/release-7aaeaba8e0ec055676f90327285ebf99-nashville-crew-base

DALLAS – Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today furthered its commitment to Music City by announcing the addition of a Crew Base at Nashville International Airport (BNA) in the second quarter of 2024.Nashville will become the 12th Crew Base in the Southwest® system with approximately 150-250 Pilots, growing to 500-600 Pilots, and an estimated 500-700 Flight Attendants based in the new Crew location beginning in 2024, with continued growth planned.

 

Additional info: 

Southwest Airlines® began service to BNA on March 18, 1986, with eight daily nonstop departures to Chicago (Midway) and Houston (Hobby). Since then, it's grown to operate more flights and serve more air Passengers as the largest carrier at BNA, offering up to 166 departures a day to 57 cities nonstop, and currently housing nearly 1,000 Southwest Employees. To support the carrier's commitment to Nashville, the airline is striving to add four gates in the fourth quarter of 2023 to support its operation with a goal of 20 gates total by the end of the year to serve future Customers flying in and out of Nashville.

 I was asleep at the wheel last night, and this did not even register a ding in my mind when I read it. If you see something like this from now own, please contact me directly. I sort of just go through the motions when I read the board anymore. I had a long day yesterday and was still tired from my trip to Huntsville and mowing 3 acres plus tree trimming.

[Nothingspectacular]

2 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

 I was asleep at the wheel last night, and this did not even register a ding in my mind when I read it. If you see something like this from now own, please contact me directly. I sort of just go through the motions when I read the board anymore. I had a long day yesterday and was still tired from my trip to Huntsville and mowing 3 acres plus tree trimming.

This is major news at BNA. Hardly any local news coverage. 

[downtownresident]

1 minute ago, Nothingspectacular said:

This is major news at BNA. Hardly any local news coverage. 

Southwest announced it at a party at 6:30 PM with nothing but a news release. The governor posted about it today, but of course didn’t say anything about it coming to Nashville, and didn’t tag the BNA twitter account. He’s still unbelievably jilted over Metro Council saying “no” to the RNC. 

[CenterHill]

Flew in from SEA Sunday night. Was after midnight and walking down B concourse we noticed a very energetic Southwest flight crew taking a selfie in front of a backdrop that said “Nashville Based Crew” or something like that.   Was confused at the time but now it all makes sense.    Yes, big news indeed!  

[MLBrumby]

The Tennessean (albeit a bit late on most items here) has a piece on the latest changes and future plans at BNA. (behind paywall)  https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2023/08/15/nashville-airport-projects-what-is-happening-when/70530555007/ 

I pulled a couple of lists in it with one item highlighted (I wasn't aware). 

Plans for next five years at Nashville airport

• $287 million Concourse D extension with moving sidewalks and other upgrades.
• $855 million Concourse A expansion.
• Completion of an expanded and modernized baggage-handling system.
• Extend the runway to accommodate international flights as far as Asia.
• Design and plan a new terminal building for up to 70 million passengers a year.
• New air freight building.

Coming this year

• Sept. 27: Opening of new International Arrivals facility and a mall with 15 new concessions.
• Oct. 21: Opening of the new satellite concourse with seven concessions. Buses will transport passengers from the terminal.
• Dec. 31: Opening first on-terminal hotel above a third new parking garage. When finished, the three garages facing the airport will together accommodate 7,500 vehicles. 
• Dec. 31: Completion of Interstate 40 exit road widening from one to two lanes.
• Additional gates will bring the total to 69.

[ZestyEd]

More Detail. 
https://airlineweekly.com/2023/08/southwest-airlines-unveils-new-nashville-crew-base-as-pilots-move-towards-strike/#:~:text=Southwest currently has 11 crew,Oakland%2C Orlando%2C and Phoenix.

[Nothingspectacular]

Will Southwest Airlines add a hangar and maintenance facilities a BNA as most of its bases have?  With so many SWA flights at BNA that would seem logical. 

[markhollin]

The airport is hiring a consultant to recommend the best place to build a second terminal. The contract, worth a maximum $3.5 million, begins what Nashville International Airport CEO Doug Kreulen expects to be a decadelong process to plan, build and open a terminal.

Kreulen previously expected to hit 35 million annual passengers in 2035. Last fiscal year's 18.9% growth lopped two years off that timeline, putting the airport on pace for 2033 to reach that benchmark.

The authority is hiring Strategic Planning Services Inc., which has five U.S. offices as well as offices in China and Hong Kong.

At least two options for a new terminal involve land that the authority entirely or mostly owns today. Any option will require some kind of transit or people-mover network linking the two buildings, Kreulen said.

The team Strategic Planning Services put together includes several architecture and engineering firms with a Nashville presence, including Gresham Smith, Kimley Horn, Terracon and Civil Infrastructure Associates LLC.

A new terminal would cost well into the billions of dollars. 

More at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2023/08/17/bna-nashville-airport-terminal-study.html
 

[bnacincy]

They ought to put a 2nd terminal where the old terminal was up until 1987 and have Embraer and FEDEX relocate towards the cargo terminal on that side.

That would prevent traffic overcrowding at the existing terminal and you would have plenty of space for expansion on the Briley Parkway side.

[Digital Dust]

Is there a legend somewhere to explain the different colors and such? Or explain what an APM is?

[MLBrumby]

It used to mean Automated People Mover, but that doesn't make sense with a terminal at the opposite end of the property. 

1 hour ago, bnacincy said:

They ought to put a 2nd terminal where the old terminal was up until 1987 and have Embraer and FEDEX relocate towards the cargo terminal on that side.

That would prevent traffic overcrowding at the existing terminal and you would have plenty of space for expansion on the Briley Parkway side.

That's a great idea. Send that suggestion into MNAA with a bill for half the $3.5m.  Can't understand why it's not even one of the early possibilities. 

[bnacincy]

And on down the road there is always that possibility of Smyrna as a 2nd airport.

 

Edited August 18, 2023 by bnacincy

[UrbanWes03]

The fact they are saying it will require transit or an APM is exciting. Maybe that could lead to better connections within terminals as well. And hopefully it could foster a transit line connection to downtown or to the proposed BNA Amtrak station. 
 

Well I just looked at the image and saw that the APM is going down to Murfreesboro Pike so hopefully that’s a good sign of things to come!

Edited August 18, 2023 by UrbanWes03

[MLBrumby]

20 minutes ago, UrbanWes03 said:

The fact they are saying it will require transit or an APM is exciting. Maybe that could lead to better connections within terminals as well. And hopefully it could foster a transit line connection to downtown or to the proposed BNA Amtrak station. 
 

Well I just looked at the image and saw that the APM is going down to Murfreesboro Pike so hopefully that’s a good sign of things to come!

I see what you mean. If it's going in that direction, then it will be underground. 

[go_outside]

15 hours ago, markhollin said:

The airport is hiring a consultant to recommend the best place to build a second terminal. The contract, worth a maximum $3.5 million, begins what Nashville International Airport CEO Doug Kreulen expects to be a decadelong process to plan, build and open a terminal.

Kreulen previously expected to hit 35 million annual passengers in 2035. Last fiscal year's 18.9% growth lopped two years off that timeline, putting the airport on pace for 2033 to reach that benchmark.

The authority is hiring Strategic Planning Services Inc., which has five U.S. offices as well as offices in China and Hong Kong.

At least two options for a new terminal involve land that the authority entirely or mostly owns today. Any option will require some kind of transit or people-mover network linking the two buildings, Kreulen said.

The team Strategic Planning Services put together includes several architecture and engineering firms with a Nashville presence, including Gresham Smith, Kimley Horn, Terracon and Civil Infrastructure Associates LLC.

A new terminal would cost well into the billions of dollars. 

More at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2023/08/17/bna-nashville-airport-terminal-study.html
 

This quote from the NBJ article sums up Nashville's incredible passenger growth:

"When the airport began its expansion in 2017, officials expected to hit 23.8 million passengers 20 years later. Now they expect to reach that point this fiscal year."