After nearly four years of construction, it's almost time to take flight from the new Terminal 1 at the San Diego International Airport.
“I've seen a bunch of the signs they have everywhere saying the new terminals are going to come up, and that's very exciting,” UC San Diego junior Beatrice Arzate said.
She walked through the current Terminal 1 after landing in San Diego on Wednesday.
“Usually I'm flying out of Terminal 1, so I think that's why I'm most excited about it,” she said. “Because this is usually where I’m going and it feels more like a treat to go to Terminal 2 because it's so much nicer — so they'll be more even now.”
The new Terminal 1 has separate roadways for departures and arrivals.
A parking structure with about 5,200 parking spaces opened in recent months.
The project is expected to cost $3.8 billion, which the airport said is being funded by a 10-year operating and lease agreement with airline partners.
As for the building itself, the new Terminal 1 includes 19 gates — five more than the old terminal — along with 30 new restaurants and stores. Highlights include Novecientos Grados, a restaurant and bar backed by professional skateboarder and Encinitas resident Tony Hawk; local roaster Better Buzz Coffee; Ambrogio 15, an Italian restaurant with locations in Pacific Beach and Del Mar; and The Taco Stand, a San Diego-founded Mexican eatery.
There’s also a lot more space, almost tripling the previous square footage of the old Terminal 1; the new terminal is just under 1 million square feet.
“When that existing Terminal 1 opened in 1967 we had 2.5 million people come through that airport. It was never designed to service and manage the number of travelers that we had in 2024, just under 10 million,” airport spokesperson Nicole Hall said.
The public is invited to see the new terminal during a community open house on Sunday, Sept. 14, from 9 a.m. to noon.
“We want people to explore and enjoy the artwork. See the additional checkpoint lanes, see the ticket counters, see everything that we're bringing to San Diego,” Hall said.
They are also planning to work out any kinks in the travelling experience through a simulation with 1,000 people who signed up to participate.
“People who have volunteered their time to come, and with a script experience certain elements of the terminal, and then give us some feedback. So we're really using that as an opportunity for us to learn how the airport functions,” Hall said.
The first flights start arriving at the new Terminal 1 on Sept. 22.
Demolition of the old Terminal 1 is scheduled to begin around the last week of September.
Construction will continue on the new terminal. An expansion that will include 11 more gates is set to open in early 2028.
