BWI/Marshall Airport is planning a $60 million expansion of concourse A to helping accommodate Southwest Airlines’ expected growth at the hub.
The 55,000-square-foot extension would include five additional gates and space for new restaurants and retail. The Maryland Aviation Administration, which operates BWI, is asking the state’s Board of Public Works to approve an expedited procurement for the project so it will be completed by July 2020.
Proceeding with the contract as an expedited procurement will allow the airport to “accommodate Southwest’s existing and expected airline services…and best serve the public interest,” according to Board of Public Works document.
The extension of concourse A is just latest the project for BWI. The airport completed a $125 million connector between concourses D and E in 2016, a project that added about 135,000 square feet. Last year BWI announced a $60 million expansion of its international terminal. Fueled by Southwest — the dominant airline at BWI — as well as new international flights, the airport flew a record 26 million passengers in 2017. It was the third straight annual record.