Hollywood Burbank Airport Nears Close-Up With New Terminal

(LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA) Hollywood Burbank Airport has reached the midpoint of a full terminal replacement, with the Elevate BUR program reporting the new terminal is about 55% complete as of September 2025 and on track to open in October 2026. The $1.3 billion project will move passengers into a modern, 355,000-square-foot building with 14 gates, a single, unified TSA checkpoint, new shops and restaurants, and long-awaited safety and accessibility upgrades, while keeping flights operating at the existing site during construction.

Airport officials planned the build in the northeast section of the airfield, on a separate parcel from the current 1930s-era terminal, so daily operations could continue without major service cuts. The structure was topped out in January 2025, marking a key milestone that kept Elevate BUR’s schedule intact for a late-2026 opening. The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, which manages Hollywood Burbank Airport, has framed the project as a once-in-a-generation reset that replaces aging facilities with a safer, more efficient layout designed for today’s travelers.

Project Scope and Design Goals

The new terminal, part of the Elevate BUR capital program, will not add gates beyond the existing 14-gate cap tied to community agreements. Instead, it increases total space and improves how people move through the building. The design focuses on safety, efficiency, and comfort, including modern seismic features for earthquake resilience and full ADA compliance for travelers with disabilities.

A dramatic entrance canopy nods to Hollywood’s cinematic roots, while a public plaza blends Mid-Century Modern forms with “icon” elements intended to make the airport a landmark in its own right.

Key design goals and features:
– Single consolidated security checkpoint to reduce bottlenecks and simplify wayfinding
– Expanded concessions with new shops and restaurants
– Larger holdrooms, more restrooms, and nursing rooms
– Improved lighting with solar control technology that reduces heat, glare, and energy demand
– Seismic design and full ADA compliance
– Public plaza and entrance canopy for improved curb-to-gate experience
– Parking structure planned with 900 EV-capable stalls

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the combination of a bigger post-security zone and a unified screening point often delivers shorter lines and a calmer travel flow, especially during peak hours.

Construction Status and Team

The design-build team—Holder, Pankow, TEC Joint Venture (HPTJV) with architects Corgan, CannonDesign, and Burns & McDonnell—pushed the steel frame to completion in early 2025, a visible sign the project cleared one of its biggest schedule risks.

With the superstructure up, work has shifted to:
1. Enclosure and exterior finishes
2. Interior build-out and concessions fit-outs
3. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems
4. Airfield interfaces tying the new terminal to existing operations
5. Testing of fire, life safety, and baggage systems

Because the new terminal sits on a separate parcel, crews can complete most of this work without closing current gates or ticketing areas. That phased approach supports staff training and systems testing, enabling a single switchover when the building opens.

Construction Timeline (Major Milestones)

• Groundbreaking: Early 2024
• Steel topping out: January 2025
• Completion (approx.): 55% complete as of September 2025
• Scheduled opening: October 2026

With the new terminal roughly 55% complete, the next year centers on interiors, systems installation, testing, and preparing access roads and drop-off areas.

Community, Funding, and Constraints

The replacement terminal is the result of decades of local debate about growth, safety, and neighborhood impact. In 2016, nearly 70% of Burbank voters approved a plan for a safer, code-compliant terminal, which established these guardrails:
– No gate increases beyond 14
– Careful attention to noise and traffic impacts
– Community-oriented design and accessibility improvements

Funding structure:
– Mix of airport revenue bonds
– Federal grants
– Local contributions

The Airport Authority set a guaranteed maximum price of $1.11 billion for design and construction as part of the broader $1.3 billion program cost. This helps lock key scopes and reduce cost risk in a tight construction market. VisaVerge.com notes that such financial structures, combined with schedule discipline around milestones, are common in complex airport builds where maintaining daily operations adds logistical challenges.

For readers tracking federal support for airport upgrades, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program explains how grants can fund airside and landside improvements at public-use airports across the United States 🇺🇸.

Passenger Experience Improvements

The project emphasizes quality of experience over gate expansion. Travelers can expect:
– A clear canopy entrance that shelters drop-offs
– A civic-style plaza offering space for art and community touches
– Single security checkpoint for more predictable queues
– Larger, brighter holdrooms to ease crowding
– More food and retail choices to serve travelers during delays or early arrivals
– Improved wayfinding and circulation from curb to gate

The goal is to enhance day-of-travel comfort and efficiency while preserving the existing 14-gate limit agreed with the community.

Sustainability and Resilience

Sustainability measures target LEED Gold certification and include:
– Energy-smart glass and shading systems
– Solar control technology to reduce heat gain and energy demand
– Native landscaping to lower water use in Southern California’s dry climate
– A new parking structure with 900 EV-capable stalls

These features aim to reduce lifetime operating costs and emissions and to future-proof ground access for electric vehicles.

Operational and Community Benefits

• The separate-parcel build minimizes disruption to daily service, allowing heavy equipment and structural work away from active terminal areas.
• Phased construction enables testing of baggage systems, alarms, and procedures without squeezing the old building beyond safe limits.
• Local workers and suppliers benefit from steady construction jobs and contracts.
• Post-opening, expanded concessions will generate diversified revenue to support bond repayment and maintenance without tapping city general funds.

Project Management and Risks

The project roster—HPTJV with Corgan, CannonDesign, and Burns & McDonnell—reflects the scale and complexity of coordinating structural, mechanical, and electrical trades while schedules overlap with live airport operations.

The January 2025 topping out indicates early targets were met, and the October 2026 opening date remains the anchor for service change planning and staff training. Key risk mitigations include:
– Separate-parcel construction to protect operations
– Guaranteed maximum price to limit cost exposure
– Clear voter-backed constraints (14-gate cap) that shape scope

What Travelers Should Expect Next

• Periodic public updates on road access, wayfinding, and the switchover plan from the old terminal to the new one
• Visible construction progress through the final year, followed by systems testing and staff training
• A smoother first months of operation if outreach, signage, and simple routes to the single checkpoint are well communicated

For now, Elevate BUR remains the airport’s north star: finish the 355,000-square-foot building, deliver the safety and accessibility upgrades voters endorsed, and open a modern terminal with the familiar 14 gates and an improved day-of-travel experience. With the steel frame in place and interior work advancing, Hollywood Burbank Airport is closer than ever to its close-up—a modern new terminal built to today’s standards.