GSP Airport to Add Two New Boarding Bridges, Parking Garage, Possible Hotel: What to Know

Introduction

The main terminal at Greenville Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) is currently bracing with the chaos of traffic cones, construction workers, and alternative road routes. Expected to last until 2026, the airport is undergoing numerous expansion projects. This bustling operation is the response to GSP Airport experiencing its busiest year, with officials predicting nearly 2.9 million passengers will travel through the airport in 2024.

The terminal roadway improvement project which kick-started in January 2023 has been slightly delayed due to procurement and weather issues, and is now projected to complete in the second quarter of 2025. Nevertheless, several promising upgrades are in progress, including a new 1,500-space parking structure, two new boarding bridges on Concourse A and B, and tentative plans for a hotel.

Increasing Lanes, Enhancing Accessibility

In mid-June, GSP Airport reopened its front terminal parkway, which now boasts of two additional lanes and designated zones for drop-off, pick-up, and ride-sharing services conveniently maneuvering in and out of the main entrance. These lanes have doubled in size and length to match the Upstate’s growth and airport’s escalating usage.

As Tom Tyra, Vice President and Chief Marketing Communications Officer at GSP Airport shared, “We had a 1962 airport roadway for 2024 passengers.” The road improvement is anticipated to facilitate efficient handling of rideshares, shuttles, and bus activities, meeting the growing capacity needs.

Spurring Growth

May 2024 marked a historic high in GSP Airport’s passenger count as more than 266,000 people traveled through it. Multiple factors play into this unprecedented surge, predominantly the population growth in the Upstate area and the introduction of Avelo Airlines and Breeze Airways, which have increased the number of routes and flight frequencies.

Southwest Airlines recently added flights to Nashville, Tennessee, Denver, and Houston, while United Airlines is set to restart its three daily flights to Washington, D.C. in September 2024. These enhancements have occasioned a 25-percent increase in available seats compared to 2023.

Expanding Parking & Car Rentals

The airport broke ground in February 2024 on a two-year construction of a 1,500-space parking garage, equally divided between car rental and public parking. Expected to open its doors by the first quarter of 2026, Garage C Parking costing around $97 million, will turn a corner in the car rental system. GSP Airport aims to implement a business-level service for car rental customers, in sync with larger airports, where passengers can book their preferred vehicles in advance without excessive wait time.

New Boarding Bridges on the Way

By the end of 2024, Concourse A and B will sport an additional boarding bridge each, allowing two more docked planes to onboard and offload passengers. This extension, estimated at around $5 million, will increase the total number of boarding bridges to 15 between the two concourses. The new additions can accommodate 70 to 90-seat planes and add five-to-seven flights per day at GSP Airport.

Possible Addition of a Hotel

As the airport continues to grow, discussions about further expanding the airport campus are in progress. While a final decision is yet to be made, the addition of a hotel between the terminal entry and the upcoming location of Garage C Parking is being considered.