The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority has unveiled a $1 billion growth and expansion plan for Nashville International (BNA). The plan, BNA Vision, will be phased in over the next five to seven years.
BNA Vision is designed to enable the airport to accommodate the region’s booming population growth and meet the needs of the airport’s passenger increases. It includes expanding parking, concourses and lobby areas; adding new gates; developing a state-of-the-art International Arrivals Building; increasing federal security screening lanes; and the potential for an on-site hotel, among other projects.
Funding for the project will come from bonds, federal and state aviation grants, Passenger Facility Charges, and other airport funds.
“By 2035, the population of the Greater Nashville Area is expected to surpass 2.5 million people, and Nashville International Airport’s passenger traffic will grow from 12 million today to more than 20 million,” said Rob Wigington, MNAA president and CEO. “We are experiencing this rapid growth firsthand as we set new air passenger records every week, month and year. The projects comprising our BNA Vision are designed to meet the demands of this growth and address everything from international travel, to improved security wait times to more gates, parking and ease of access – all with passenger safety and convenience in mind. We’re excited to share this vision and provide a glimpse of how BNA will transform over the next several years.”
Nashville International Airport has set passenger records for three consecutive years. In the just-completed Fiscal Year 2016, BNA surpassed 12.2 million passengers, a nearly 10 percent increase over the previous fiscal year. June 2016 was the biggest single month in BNA history with 1.1 million passengers arriving and departing out of Nashville’s airport.
BNA Vision is an acceleration and expansion of MNAA’s Master Plan, a comprehensive strategy last updated in 2013 that provides planning and development guidance to address landside and airside facilities and land development considerations.
Upcoming projects include:
- Constructing a new parking garage (currently in progress) – A new six-story parking garage south of the existing Short Term Garage with 2,000 spaces. Completion is expected in Fall 2018.
- Constructing an International Arrivals Building, estimated to be completed in 2018.
- Expanding the ticketing and baggage claim areas.
- Expanding Concourse D, with additional gates to increase capacity to attract new airlines and services, and new retail and dining offerings.
- Expanding Concourse B for additional gate capacity, retail and dining options, and amenities.
- Constructing the Grand Ole Lobby, a central entrance hall that will accommodate airline ticketing, baggage check-in and federal security screening. Queuing for security screening will be consolidated, and additional lanes will minimize wait times and expedite the process.
- Potentially constructing an on-site hotel.
- Potentially constructing a new multi-modal connector to link BNA to a future Nashville transit system.
