A new boarding area at San Francisco’s International Airport will be unveiled next year as part of a renovation at one of the airport’s terminals.
Terminal 3, where United Airlines is based, has undergone a $138 million transformation to upgrade the boarding area, set to open to travelers on Jan. 28.
The renovation of a 68,000-square-foot boarding area, known as Boarding Area E, includes new interactive displays, new dining and shopping venues, new seating options, a yoga room like the one in Terminal 2, art installations, and a wall of windows for plane watching.
As part of the design, airport officials have touted the use of local and recycled materials, such as tiles from Sausalito and terrazzo flooring, and energy-efficient designs for the windows, skylights, roof and ventilation system.
Another project to revamp the 150,000-square-foot connecting concourse to Boarding Area F is underway with a $209-million budget. A new security checkpoint with as many as 10 lanes and three additional gates are part of the project, which is anticipated to open late next summer. The project will be phased in until its completion in July 2015.
During construction on the conjoining concourse, passengers will be able to go through a temporary passageway starting at the end of January.
The original terminal was built in 1981 and has 10 United gates. Airport officials said after the renovation the new boarding area will be able to accommodate passengers on more than 100 departing and arriving flights each day.
An open house for the public to view the new boarding area a few days before it opens will be held on Jan. 25.
Sasha Lekach, Bay City News
