YYC Calgary International Airport expects to begin a phased reopening of Concourse B in 2027; the news comes one year after a hailstorm caused catastrophic damage and shut the terminal down completely.
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The Calgary Airport Authority said Tuesday in a news release the Aug. 5, 2024, storm severely damaged the 1976-built concourse, forcing its full closure. Contractors then spent seven months removing water-damaged infrastructure and original building materials, and renovation work is now underway.
“A renovation of Concourse B is happening sooner than originally planned,” said Chris Miles, Chief Operating Officer for Calgary Airports, in the release. “But given this opportunity, it made sense to redevelop it with everything we know now about great design and great amenities. That means designing for universal access, better sustainability, and making it more open, more welcoming, and filled with natural light.”
Before the International Terminal opened in 2016 at YYC, Concourse B served both domestic and international passengers. Now operating solely as a domestic terminal, it no longer requires the secure walkways and glassed-in passages that characterized it when it served international and transborder flights, or as the airport put it, “did double duty.” The Calgary Airport Authority said the renovation will bring the building up to current code, improve resilience, and allow for “higher ceilings, roomier gate areas, and unobstructed views to downtown and the Rockies.”
Crews are replacing about 60,000 square feet of roof at Concourse B, using what the airport called a “resilient, sustainable design.” Other hail-damaged roofing is also being repaired.
“As we finalize plans for the interior, we’re working with partners, including airlines to design infrastructure that meets their needs today and into the future, an investment that will last decades,” said Miles. “That means new IT, new security systems, new HVAC systems that will be long-term more sustainable and cost-effective.”
The renovated concourse is designed to “dovetail with the new, consolidated Centralized Screening project currently under construction in the Domestic Terminal Building at YYC, which will decrease screening times and facilitate smooth passenger flow from check-in to gate,” the Calgary Airport Authority said.
A graduated reopening is expected in 2027.
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