That long, hot walk past construction barriers won’t last forever for passengers arriving at and departing from Key West International Airport.
The new concourse and air-conditioned jetways to planes should be finished in spring 2025, bringing an end to that overcrowded departure area and new food and drink options.
The rest of the improvements, including the new baggage claim area and expanded security checkpoint lines, will be finished a year later.
The project broke ground in November 2022, and use of the airport has continued to increase.
Key West International Airport kicked off the fourth quarter of 2024 with a 10% hike in passengers so far this year, according to a press release from Katie Atkins, the county’s airport communications manager.
“Nearly 1.2 million passengers have used the airport so far this year, and Richard Strickland, the county’s director of airports, expects passenger numbers to continue outpacing 2023 as air travel ramps up through the end of the year and airlines offer more nonstop flights to destinations like Boston and Washington, D.C.,” the release states.
The airport has seen an increase of 107,115 passengers so far this year. In the month of October, 92,051 passengers used the airport.
“We have consistently broken records this year. It is a team effort and I can’t speak highly enough about the hard work that goes into our airport operations every single day, all while we build a new concourse,” Strickland said.
