San Francisco Airport’s Terminal 1, Boarding Area B is getting a facelift — a delight for Bay Area residents and visitors alike. The plan, at a cost of $2.4 billion, is the largest ever for the airport but is much needed with the increase of passengers the airport has seen year after year. Boarding Area B will have 25 gates, including seven ‘swing gates’ for international passengers, allowing direct access to the US Customs & Border Protection Federal Inspection Area. Passengers will also appreciate the new state-of-the-art baggage handling system, additional dining and retail concessions, and post-security connecting walkways.

The focus of the renovation is to improve the passenger experience and bring back the time when airport travel was romantic and exciting instead of stressful and exhausting. New features focusing on customer hospitality such as integrated technology and better retail and dining spaces will be included to also increase airport efficiencies. The design concept has been defined as ‘Bay Area Naturalism’ with curated spaces for quietude and relaxation.

Work will be conducted in four phases, with the last phase to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2022. The airport hopes with the renovation, Terminal 1 will receive an environmental LEED Gold certification and exceed the standards set forth by existing Terminals 2 and 3.