Nashville International Airport Development thread

[MLBrumby]

Dang!  How long is that boom?  I'm fascinated by construction in general, but even more when it's a whole new building being built around an existing one that's still conducting its daily business. Used to travel a lot to Boston in the late 1990s when Logan was getting renovated/expanded but I don't recall a complete wrap around the old building. It was a mess, but they made it work fine. 

[LA_TN]

8 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

Dang!  How long is that boom?  I'm fascinated by construction in general, but even more when it's a whole new building being built around an existing one that's still conducting its daily business. Used to travel a lot to Boston in the late 1990s when Logan was getting renovated/expanded but I don't recall a complete wrap around the old building. It was a mess, but they made it work fine. 

The big Demag mobile crane is 439', not sure about the tower crane 

[Sean blackdog]

1 hour ago, LA_TN said:

The big Demag mobile crane is 439', not sure about the tower crane 

I check on Facebook BNA. about 198 feet tower crane. 

[Sean blackdog]

Today this evening from Facebook BNA. 
 

It was our great pleasure to welcome the Consul-General of Japan, Ms. Kayoko Fukushima, and her team to BNA® today.  We were excited to show our expansion progress and our future plans, including a state-of-the-art International Arrivals Facility slated to open in 2023.

With it, we anticipate connecting Nashville to the world as never before with international service to many more destinations—including, we hope, a nonstop flight to Tokyo at some point. We look forward to that day.

Japan-America Society of Tennessee, Inc. 
Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival
Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Sister Cities of Nashville

OR...

Edited February 5, 2021 by Sean blackdog

[Binbin98]

9 minutes ago, Sean blackdog said:

Today this evening from Facebook BNA. 
 

It was our great pleasure to welcome the Consul-General of Japan, Ms. Kayoko Fukushima, and her team to BNA® today.  We were excited to show our expansion progress and our future plans, including a state-of-the-art International Arrivals Facility slated to open in 2023.

With it, we anticipate connecting Nashville to the world as never before with international service to many more destinations—including, we hope, a nonstop flight to Tokyo at some point. We look forward to that day.

Japan-America Society of Tennessee, Inc. 
Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival
Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Sister Cities of Nashville

OR...

If only. But in all seriousness a direct flight to Japan might happen one day but not for at least another half a decade with covid fallout. Also I think cities like Philadelphia and Miami will get an Asian nonstop before places like Nashville or Austin do, as those areas have much more Asian demographics and companies than Nashville does currently.

[bigeasy]

Has the airport seen longer lines with construction and/or any pandemic related changes? I am flying out this weekend and wasn’t sure if it would be crazy or an ghost town

[tragenvol]

9 hours ago, bigeasy said:

Has the airport seen longer lines with construction and/or any pandemic related changes? I am flying out this weekend and wasn’t sure if it would be crazy or an ghost town

Due to the current health environment, no.  We've flown out and back a couple times last month and late last year; it takes no time to get through to the concourse.  We're heading out again shortly and anticipate similarly low congestion.  You will notice construction, but it really isn't a factor as an airport visitor.  BNA is doing a great job keeping construction from affecting the flyer.  It is relatively less busy than normal times, but not a ghost town; you will notice this for sure.

Edited February 6, 2021 by tragenvol

[dxfret]

I commute almost every week between NYC and BNA. Because of the pandemic and the fact that it’s mid winter, there are only an average of 3 or 4 nonstops per day to LGA airport on Southwest and Delta Air Lines.  Flights are usually about one-third full although there always seem to be more people flying into BNA than going to LGA. The newly opened terminals at LGA are terrific, however they are always pretty empty.  BNA seems reasonably busy, especially since Southwest uses BNA as a connection hub for quite a few flights.  The ongoing construction is not an issue. The number of daily flights increases dramatically by April, when there will be up to 10 nonstop flights per day BNA-LGA as American Airlines adds 4 nonstops per day on the route. 

[smeagolsfree]

LA_TN shared some interesting numbers about that at the meet today. Maybe he can share.

[GreenHillsBoy]

I have flow twice in the last two months and both times the security was extremely fast even though the airport seemed to be very busy.  One was to Dallas before Christmas and another just back from Denver. Both flights were totally full and the expanded baggage claim area is welcomed and has plenty of room.  There still appear to be a number of the retail areas in both C and D gates that are under construction, but I'm very impressed with the new D and what I am seeing in the terminal itself.  On the other hand, the parking needs work, too much walking to get to the surface lot or the new multi-story parking garage, but the lighting is impressive.  They badly need moving sidewalks and/or shuttle buses to the surface lot.  The old C lot and the one across Donelson Pike are not being used.  

Edited February 7, 2021 by GreenHillsBoy

[downtownresident]

Allegiant announces new routes starting later this year. 
 

Here’s a link to the press release: https://ir.allegiantair.com/news-releases/news-release-details/allegiant-announces-major-service-expansion-34-new-nonstop

The new routes to Nashville International Airport (BNA) include:

1. Albany, New York via Albany International Airport (ALB) – beginning May 14, 2021with one-way fares as low as $49.* 
2. McAllen, Texas via McAllen International Airport (MFE) – beginning May 27, 2021with one-way fares as low as $69.* 
3. Portsmouth, New Hampshire via Portsmouth International Airport (PSM) – beginning May 27, 2021 with one-way fares as low as $69.* 
4. Boise, Idaho via Boise International Airport (BOI) – beginning May 28, 2021 with one-way fares as low as $69.* 

[jmtunafish]

24 minutes ago, downtownresident said:

Allegiant announces new routes starting later this year. 
 

Here’s a link to the press release: https://ir.allegiantair.com/news-releases/news-release-details/allegiant-announces-major-service-expansion-34-new-nonstop

The new routes to Nashville International Airport (BNA) include:

1. Albany, New York via Albany International Airport (ALB) – beginning May 14, 2021with one-way fares as low as $49.* 
2. McAllen, Texas via McAllen International Airport (MFE) – beginning May 27, 2021with one-way fares as low as $69.* 
3. Portsmouth, New Hampshire via Portsmouth International Airport (PSM) – beginning May 27, 2021 with one-way fares as low as $69.* 
4. Boise, Idaho via Boise International Airport (BOI) – beginning May 28, 2021 with one-way fares as low as $69.* 

Dang, that's incredible.  This will make 32 destinations that Allegiant will serve out of BNA.  And they've been at BNA for just a couple of years.  Actually, Nashville is also one of a handful of airports that Allegiant will provide special flights to SD for the Sturgis Rally later this year.  So for a while they'll have 33 destinations out of BNA.

Edited February 9, 2021 by jmtunafish

[ruraljuror]

34 minutes ago, jmtunafish said:

Dang, that's incredible.  This will make 32 destinations that Allegiant will serve out of BNA.  And they've been at BNA for just a couple of years.  Actually, Nashville is also one of a handful of airports that Allegiant will provide special flights to SD for the Sturgis Rally later this year.  So for a while they'll have 33 destinations out of BNA.

 

Special flights....to a motorcycle rally?  

[Sean blackdog]

Today this morning from Facebook Sky5. 

[LA_TN]

BNA update
- 8,284,570 passengers moved in and out of BNA in 2020, down 54.7 percent from 2019

- BNA is currently #23 for enplanements vs #31 in 2019. BNA is performing MUCH better than a lot of larger airports, with many days being in the top 10 in USA for enplanements. Yes, there are many days where BNA is ahead of Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago Midway, etc. BNA is #2 for Southwest airlines, behind only Denver. Surprise!!

- a normal day at BNA is currently 10,000 - 15,000 passengers vs before the pandemic a normal day was 20,000 passengers with record days at 30,000. The airport is 'comfortable' right now. The only impact to travelers from the construction, is the north/south terminal split (know where your airline is located!!!!!!!!) and the 'long walk' to the terminal garage A

- British Airways flight to London-Heathrow: there is still a good balance of incentive $$$ leftover from the original package used to help start this flight. In March, BNA will update incentives for BA to help restart this flight and it is expected to have some small additional incentives added from the state of TN and the city of Nashville (not sure of the status for the city incentive). Before the pandemic, BNA was #12 of 28 BA destinations in US. BNA must 'compete' to have our flight restarted before others, and there is a high probability that can be accomplished. But, as for now, there is NO ESTIMATE FOR WHEN OR IF this flight will return

BNA Vision 1.0
- $1 million contract approved in Jan 2021 for NES to install a geographically redundant power supply, fed from the Donnelson substation. This will allow the airport to remain 100% powered on either of the two feeds into the airport, if one power feed goes down. The $1 million contract is an up-front payment and any leftover balance will return to the airport authority
- a redundant water supply will occur as a later part of BNA Vision

BNA Vison 2.0
- 169.3 million for ramp A apron fill, plus concrete, and satellite concourse. $80 million of that is for the satellite concourse
- budget approval expected in Feb
- $567.9 million bond will be acquired in 2022 for balance of BNA Vision 1 and BNA Vision 2 (apron + satellite concourse)

Runway 2L/20R extension:
- currently in design phase
- this is still seen as the critical component needed to secure a flight to Tokyo (in addition to the new International Arrivals Facility). so far, 12 Middle Tennessee entities (ranging from Tennessee/Nashville government to local corporations) have signed up in support of this runway extension
- due to the pandemic, there are currently no funds available to proceed past the design phase

Satellite Concourse
- RFP available Dec 28, 2020
- pre-proposal conference Jan 13, 2021
- site tour Jan 14, 2021
- RFP due by Feb 17, 2021
- selection will be in Apr 2021
- hope for construction to start in Nov 2021
- major construction is to be complete Sep 24, 2023 **Hensel major construction of the Terminal Lobby/IAF is to also be complete Sep 24, 2023
- full concessions will be available in the Satellite Concourse (food and retail)
- passengers will be transferred from/to the terminal by shuttle buses

Concourse A
- Environmental Mitigation for apron expansion approved Jan 2021
- RFP for apron fill is being developed and will be released soon
- Apron fill is currently in design phase
- the Satellite Concourse must be online before the A gates can be taken offline to demo the existing Concourse A
- due to the pandemic, funds are currently not available to proceed to construction (of Concourse A) after the apron fill project is completed

Some notes from me:
- The big 3 (Delta, American, United) are struggling because they lost the vast majority of their passengers: business travelers. Their planes are designed for business travelers vs low-fare carriers are designed for leisure travelers. Currently, low-fare airlines are doing ok. Same for airports - the large hubs are struggling without long-haul connections vs airports like BNA are out-performing the hubs
- In March, JetBlue will start its direct flight to Cancun to compete head-to-head with Southwest. Airlines are competing for leisure travel, so this will be an interesting year for 'experiments'
- As noted in the recent press release for Allegiant, that airline is now serving 33 destinations from BNA. WOW


Concourse A: the dark gray shaded area is the apron fill project that must be completed first

Satellite Concourse:

BNA Vison 2.0 (please note that the Concourse D additional gates are NOT expected to ever be developed)

[markhollin]

Airport expansion update: Girders on massive new lobby roof filling-in; foundational work beginning  on area that will eventually feature the Hilton Hotel. 

Looking south from Terminal Drive:

Looking SW from Terminal Drive:

Looking NW from Terminal Drive:

Looking NE from Terminal Drive:

[MLBrumby]

Making great progress during this lull.  I wonder why they decided to locate the satellite concourse at that site. It limits the gates to one side. And is this planned as temporary until the new terminal is built? 

[downtownresident]

47 minutes ago, MLBrumby said:

Making great progress during this lull.  I wonder why they decided to locate the satellite concourse at that site. It limits the gates to one side. And is this planned as temporary until the new terminal is built? 

There’s really no other place to put it. It’s been a while since I’ve read through the documentation, but I believe it’s meant to be permanent.
 

They weighed a couple of options of how to get through the rebuild of Concourse A(handstands vs. temporary satellite concourse vs. permanent satellite concourse) and they chose the permanent satellite concourse. It was the most expensive option, but we get new permanent gates and they can build out concession/rentable space in the permanent concourse. 

[PillowTalk4]

Forgive me if this has already been discussed, but was there ever an option to build an international terminal on the old airport property and do an underground tram system between it and the main terminal?  Or an option to  build an international terminal on the east side of the airport property also with an underground tram system?  They could have also done a larger customs check point in those terminals as well in anticipation of future international growth.

[Hey_Hey]

The airport authority needs to speak with The Boring Company about making an underground connection to the satellite terminal. They are able to do underground work for remarkably less money than other entities. That distance is similar to the underground tunnel at DTW that is serviced by moving sidewalks. They could also look at doing a tram through it, but that would be substantially more money. 

[Sean blackdog]

 

Watch our new roof canopy construction at the central terminal unfold in just seconds.

 NEXT UP: Soon, HENSEL PHELPS will start connecting the canopy to Terminal Garage 1 (seen in the daytime portion directly across from the terminal). A pedestrian bridge will be constructed beneath the canopy for a covered walk between the terminal and garage. From renderings to reality!

 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CLLILllBAAH/?igshid=19qagxnc6sinz

 

[markhollin]

New aerial render of Hilton Airport  Terminal Hotel:
 

[LA_TN]

5 hours ago, markhollin said:

New aerial render of Hilton Airport  Terminal Hotel:
 

The exact brand has still not been decided. But it will be a Hilton brand 

[Sean blackdog]

Today this morning from Facebook BNA. 

[LA_TN]

On 2/10/2021 at 7:18 AM, MLBrumby said:

Making great progress during this lull.  I wonder why they decided to locate the satellite concourse at that site. It limits the gates to one side. And is this planned as temporary until the new terminal is built? 

- There are limited spaces available for a satellite concourse, due to the proximity of the runways and the need for holding and de-icing areas for planes. Also, while there are some other areas that could have been utilized, those areas are currently holes requiring fill, the creek, etc. that would require years of preparation work. This location is accessible to build on today - no fill, no remediation, no demo, etc. just GO!

- This will be a permanent satellite concourse. As @downtownresidentexplained, there were several options evaluated (from hardstands to a full satellite concourse) and the BNA board choose the full satellite concourse. This will allow the best possible passenger experience and will allow BNA to collect revenue off the concessions/retail/services located in that concourse. To compare, the new Concourse D only has 6 gates and this satellite concourse will be built in very similar style (just as nice) and for less $$$ and will have more concession space

Timeline: this concourse needs to be online Sep 24, 2023 when the IAF/Lobby is complete. When the Satellite Concourse is open, Concourse A can be closed for full demo and rebuilt The other project dependency is the apron fill project (that project will go to bid soon)

This concourse is primarily designed for 'medium' planes like A319/320/321 and B737 family (including MAX). Smaller planes (like Canadair Regional Jets, or CRJ) can also be served by the satellite concourse, but those are not the primary focus

Height allowances are restricted due to the proximity of runway 13/31. While there is no impact to the concourse structure; these restrictions impact the height of a possible skybridge option for connectivity

On 2/11/2021 at 11:31 AM, PillowTalk4 said:

Forgive me if this has already been discussed, but was there ever an option to build an international terminal on the old airport property and do an underground tram system between it and the main terminal?  Or an option to  build an international terminal on the east side of the airport property also with an underground tram system?  They could have also done a larger customs check point in those terminals as well in anticipation of future international growth.

Let's talk BNA and international flights. Nashville sits in the middle of the US and BNA is not a hub - especially for international flights. There are a limited number of international airports in US (LAX, SFO, SEA, BOS, MIA, ORD, IAH, DFW, etc) but that list is 'short' that is not going to change. Airports like BNA can hopefully get direct international flights to Canada, Europe, and points south while an Asian flight would be great. But how many international flights a day can BNA expect in the future? With 3 widebody slots (5 narrowbody), at the IAF - that's a lot of capacity. That is enough to serve the Canada, Cancun/etc flights, plus some widebody flights to Europe, Asia, and South America. In addition to the IAF, planes can be towed to other boarding gates, if needed. So, unless something drastic happens at BNA in the future, an international terminal will not be needed and it is not in the long range plans. The long range plans for Terminal 2 is intended for domestic service only

On 2/11/2021 at 12:27 PM, Hey_Hey said:

The airport authority needs to speak with The Boring Company about making an underground connection to the satellite terminal. They are able to do underground work for remarkably less money than other entities. That distance is similar to the underground tunnel at DTW that is serviced by moving sidewalks. They could also look at doing a tram through it, but that would be substantially more money. 

When we compare to the DTW (Detroit) and ORD (Chicago) tunnels, they serve 30 and 40 gates; while BNA will be 8 gates. The expense of building a tunnel to serve 8 gates would not be considered wise use of funds, considering the number of passengers that would be served. BUT, maybe in the future, is the thinking.....

There were 4 options considered:
1) shuttle buses
2) tunnel - estimated cost is $100 million
3) skybridge - estimated cost is $75-150 million
4) APM (Automated People Mover) - estimated cost is $250 million

It was decided that shuttle buses will be used, at least for now. The departure area from the terminal has not been selected, as of yet. There are several factors going into this location decision: do the current A gates move to the Satellite Concourse? Then the transfer point should be near the north wing, ticketing, etc. If other airlines, then maybe C4 is a candidate to be replaced with holding/transfer area. As of now, there are many unknown variables, but there are 4 locations identified as possible transfer points

 

Here is the layout: notice the amount of concession space (green)

This shows the tunnel option:

These are the proposals for a SkyBridge - notice the height restrictions:

These are the 3 options considered for an APM (Automated People Mover): none of these options are feasible due to cost, disruptions to operations, etc

My recommendation: flying is fun!