Pensacola breaks ground on $113 million airport terminal expansion to add five new gates

Courtesy Jim Little – Pensacola News Journal

After several years of planning, a $113 million expansion of Pensacola International Airport’s passenger terminal is officially underway.

Pensacola officials marked the beginning of construction of the project with a groundbreaking ceremony at the airport on Oct. 15

Pensacola Airport Director Matt Coughlin said the airport set another record in the last year, with the number of passengers traveling through the airport crossing 3.1 million.

Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said for years the airport has been a victim of its own success, operating in a space only designed to handle 1 million passengers a year.

“It’s a wonderful problem to have, but it’s a problem that we must solve,” Reeves said.

The 50,000 square feet terminal expansion will add an expanded security area that will cut down on passenger wait times, and a new passenger concourse with more dining options and five new gates that can service larger aircraft.

Marcos Souza with EXP and Luis Vidal, architects, said the design team has incorporated the history and culture of Pensacola into the design.

“We want to make sure the passenger experience through the airport, through the facilities, is an extension of the fun that people are having here,” Souza said. “So I truly believe that a measure of our team's success is providing something that is unique to Pensacola, one that blends not only the city's history and legacy but also its future outlook.”

Archer Westen Construction out of Atlanta is partnering with Pensacola-based Bear General Contractors to build the terminal.

Escambia County Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger said the expansion of the airport will support Pensacola's growing economy for the future.

“As Pensacola grows, we're building the kind of infrastructure that not only supports tourism but long-term prosperity,” Hofberger said. “We're making it easier for people to live here and still work in larger markets to enjoy our coastal lifestyle without sacrificing opportunity.”

Pensacola City Council President Jared Moore said he has several friends he grew up with in Pensacola who left the city because it's “not big enough” and “not enough going on.”

“And I can't help but think of them today and think of something my granny would have said to them,” Moore said. “She would have said, 'Bless your little hearts.' Because it's clear, Pensacola has it going on. Pensacola is not flying under the radar any longer. You don't have to look far to see it. You look around, there's evidence everywhere.”

Posted: November 11, 2025