LOUISVILLE, Ky. — New expansions and enhancements are coming to the Muhammad Ali International Airport in hopes of accommodating the many travelers for this upcoming year of events.
Last year alone, the airport welcomed a record number of passengers to Louisville.
"This is the airport I've dreamed of because it has so many things going for it, so many opportunities for growth and expansion" Dan Mann, executive director, said.
In 2023, the Muhammad Ali International Airport serviced over 4.6 million travelers, beating a record that was last set in 2019 of over 2.1 million passengers.
Later this year, Mann said there will be a microgrid emergency power source heading to the airport that will expand the security checkpoint and enhance both the ticket area and parking. They've also added a new airline, direct and restored flights in and out of the airport.
"It grows every year. Things seem more expensive but we're actually saying, 'Hey what we got more capacity, we probably need to add a parking deck.' $50 million for a parking deck, the FIS [is] $40 million, so there's a lot of stuff that we're looking at to make this frankly the best airport in the country. That's what we have in mind when we start investing in our facilities."
These enhancements and expansions will add to the $126 million they invested last year alone and even though it may look like the airport is constantly under construction, it shouldn't make traveling more difficult.
"We are working through this so there is minimal distributions. We've modified the checkpoint while we do that work behind the counter. When that's done, we'll have three times as much que for the passengers at checkpoint," Mann said. "It's really important for Derby coming up and really important for FIS."
It's not just people going through Ali International, it's also the fifth busiest cargo airport in the world thanks to the UPS World Headquarters calling Louisville home.
"Very, very important for the economy. Very important for keeping our cost low so we can compete for more air service," Mann said. "It's jobs and the ability for people to work here to have disposable income to fly and fill up the planes when we bring new air services."
The executive director also mentioned that they plan to be working on these upcoming projects around the clock and soon hope to add international flights in and out of Louisville.
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