The U.S. Department of Transportation announced $18 million in grant funding from Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program for infrastructure upgrades at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The grants will support two major projects expected to finish near the end of 2027: a new taxiway on the west end of the airfield and a new six-gate concourse in Terminal 3.
Daver Malik, the assistant director of aviation at Sky Harbor, joined “Arizona Horizon” to explain what changes this grant will bring to the international airport.
Malik explained what the taxiway is and how it is designed to assist people as they navigate the airport.
“If you think of Sky Harbor, our terminal sits in the core, and then we have airplanes taking off and landing on the north and south side of the airfield. This taxiway is going to help us connect the west side of our airfield. So when you land or you’re taking off at Sky Harbor, if you’re departing or arriving at one side of the airfield, you don’t have to go back all the way to your gate and you can just cut through the airfield and get to your gate quicker,” Malik said.
The idea behind creating a new concourse is to make the terminal “state of the art.” Malik described what state a state-of-the-art terminal looks like.
“(State of the art) means better amenities for our customers and passengers. It means better artwork. It means better and improved hold rooms at the gates, more facilities. We are planning for really a great club lounge space for customers. And for the first time, we’ll be able to offer our customers ability to be sort of indoor-outdoor so they can enjoy the outdoors right from within the concourse while they’re waiting for their flight,” Malik said.
