Sky Harbor names American Airlines as main carrier for future new terminal
Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix
PHOENIX - One of the country's biggest air carriers has been named as the main carrier for Sky Harbor's future terminal.
What we know:
In a statement released on Sept. 21, airport officials say American Airlines will be the primary carrier operating from the airport's West Terminal, which they say will be the airport's first new terminal construction since Terminal 4 opened in 1990.
"A key goal of the new terminal is to optimize future domestic and international growth," read a portion of the statement. "The new terminal will become the Airport’s front door for Phoenix’s growing international traffic and will be designed to accommodate additional wide-body aircraft."
Dig deeper:
Airport officials say the announcement came as the airport unveils its "Destination PHX 2050" plan, which they describe as "a comprehensive development program that will guide the airport’s future capital investments, including the West Terminal."
Per the project page on Sky Harbor's website, the planned west terminal will be built between the current Terminal 3 and a taxiway that is expected to be completed in 2027.
By the numbers:
Airport officials say American Airlines is Sky Harbor's largest air carrier in terms of total passenger traffic, serving more than 40% of the airport's passengers.
"American is Phoenix’s largest airline, carrying more than 20 million customers through Sky Harbor annually and employing 8,000 team members across Arizona," wrote American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, in the statement. "The future West Terminal will further connect Phoenix to destinations around the world, strongly positioning the city to lead the next generation of travel by driving economic opportunity, tourism, and global business connections for the region."
The backstory:
According to Sky Harbor's history page, the current Terminal 3 began construction in 1976, and was opened for use in 1979. Since then, the terminal was remodeled in 1997 and modernized as part of a $590 million project from 2016 to 2020.
The airport's Terminal 4, as it currently stands, began construction in 1989 and opened in 1990. Various new concourses have been added in the years since, and the terminal currently has 94 gates, per airport officials.
Officials say Sky Harbor served over 51.6 million passengers in 2025.
What's next:
Airport officials say they will "share the vision of the new West Terminal and how it will be delivered" during an industry event on Nov. 4.
"The event will also include information about how small businesses can participate," read a portion of the statement.
As for the west terminal, airport officials say construction could begin in late 2029, with a potential opening in late 2033.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, and from the airport's website.