Plan to take Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport into the future awaits FAA approval

PHOENIX (FOX 10) -- It's an ambitious undertaking at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport as the Phoenix City Council approved a nearly $6 billion, 20-year plan to take the airport into the future.

City Council approved of the plan on Tuesday, but now, the Comprehensive Asset Management Plan (CAMP) plan needs to be reviewed by the FAA so the roadmap can begin. It's a roadmap for meeting future growth with funding for the plan going toward the building of more gates to provide more availability to airlines. New terminal space will also be constructed, including the renovation of some older spaces in Terminal 4.

"Some of the terminals today, at certain times of the day, you'll notice they are very crowded," said Deborah Ostreicher, assistant airport director of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. "There are times where there's really nowhere to sit. Nowhere to plug in."

Ostreicher said Terminal 2, now nearly 60 years old, is coming down.

"Terminal 3 is being modernized as we speak," said Ostreicher. "Another concourse is being added to Terminal 4, and now, we're looking at connecting both of those, so that you can get between terminals 3 and 4 easily."

Ostreicher says the plan does not cost local taxpayers. All projects would be paid for by grants, airport revenue, and facility charges and bonds. Roadways will also be improved to boost traffic flow and create better access to and from the freeway.

"Sky Harbor is serving 45 million passengers a year. That's over 120,000 passengers a day, plus 55,000 people who work here, and that's today," said Ostreicher.

As for a timeline on the FAA's approval, officials say there's no specific date yet.