"Work starts on new passenger terminal in San Antonio"

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Work starts on new passenger terminal in San Antonio 
The Associated Press 


SAN ANTONIO - Work is beginning on a $134 million passenger terminal at the
San Antonio International Airport.

The eight-gate Terminal B will replace the aging Terminal 2 at the airport
and make way for another terminal to house five to 11 more passenger gates.

During the groundbreaking on the project on Tuesday, city officials said
that the additional gates, which would bring the airport's total to 35, will
be needed eventually.

"Even though we're in a downturn in the economy, we know that that's
cyclical," City Manager Sheryl Sculley told the San Antonio Express-News for
its Wednesday editions after the ceremony. "It'll be in the upswing again.
We need to be prepared for what we see as long-term growth."

The Air Transport Association of America said in a statement on Tuesday that
airlines could lose $7 billion to $13 billion this year because of
skyrocketing fuel prices. The industry already has cut more than 14,000 jobs
and stopped service to 100 communities.

In 2007, the San Antonio airport topped 8 million passengers and through
March of this year had 4.8 percent more traffic than a year ago.

Terminal B is set to open in two years. Also, work is wrapping up this month
on a 2,800-space parking garage.

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