![]() ![]() ![]() We’ve seen many social media posts of people complaining about overcrowding at the airport. It’s the right amount of facility for the projected numbers of passengers we’re dealing with.” People won’t all be crunched together and on top of each other while waiting to depart or while waiting for their baggage. “There will be much more space to spread out and the new design overall will enhance the customer experience and the services we can provide. It will include a new security checkpoint, new gates, a new “hold room” for departing passengers, new concessions, a new baggage claim area and glass-enclosed jet bridges, or jetways, to connect the planes with the building. He told Keys Weekly in May: Richard Stickland, Monroe County Director of Airports recently outlined an $80 million new concourse that will open in 2024. Let’s dive into some numbers on why this is so… Airport Expands to Accommodate More Passengers Fewer cars mean less traffic congestion and parking problems downtown which enhance the experience for visitors AND residents. But the airport expansion is a good thing because it means travelers aren’t coming by car. Okay, we get that it’s kind of cool to walk off your plane onto the tarmac because it adds to the “remote island” feel of Key West (HT: Jamie Mattingly). Most seemed to bemoan a paradise lost to ever more visitors. Others complained that more airplanes mean more noise. Some decried the lost innocence of the quaint architecture and cozy confines of the existing structure to be replaced with a modern, spacious glass box. The stories, widely shared and commented on via social media, were met with the usual weeping, and gnashing of teeth. They also shared that the County has started an $80 million expansion to build a new concourse to handle the overcrowding of the departure and arrival areas. Recent stories by two of the island’s favorite news sources Gwen Filosa and Nancy Klingener, brought us news ( here and here) that the Key West International Airport has already set a record for annual passengers, surpassing 1 million for the first time ever and the year isn’t even over. ![]() And please don’t forget to follow us at Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown on Facebook and check out all our Streets for People stories here. This story was written and published by KONK Life newspaper on Septemand is reprinted here with permission. ![]()
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