Best Additions to the New Sky Harbor Concourse
Sky Harbor Airport is one of the busiest airports in the country, and it’s about to get even busier. Luckily, a new concourse has opened in June 2022 to help alleviate some of the congestion.
More gates
The new concourse adds eight additional gates, which will help accommodate the increased airport traffic. With these additions, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport now has 114 gates in total!
More space
The eight new gates add 275,000 new square feet to serve Southwest Airlines customers! But this isn’t the only exciting space addition—there are also 130,000 new square feet of dining and retail options.
Baggage handling upgrades
This is another addition that will help to make Sky Harbor even more efficient. The new baggage handling system spans about 1.5 miles in conveyor belts across four underground tunnels. These tunnels are responsible for efficiently taking your luggage from the ticket counter to TSA for screening before it heads to another concourse.
Incredible views
The new concourse also capitalizes on the incredible views of the Phoenix landscape from the Sky Harbor airport. Looking south, passengers can see South Mountain Park and the Air National Guard 161st Refueling Wing.
But they didn’t stop there—there are 14,000 square feet of electrochromic glazing, intelligent glass that improves energy efficiency and views! In addition, it boasts “View Smart” technology which relies on artificial intelligence to automatically adjust to the sun, shielding passengers from heat and glare.
(Read about how to prevent a missed flight out of a Phoenix airport in this post)
New amenities
The new concourse at Sky Harbor Airport comes with exciting new amenities too!
As they explain in their media kit for the concourse:
“The “Amenities Zone” includes a nursing room, family restroom, Animal Relief Area, vending and ATMs. The new concourse also features other customer amenities like access to charging stations in every seat, “tech” tables providing workspace with charging stations and hearing loop incorporated in all hold rooms. Each gate hold room has seating for 125.”
Restaurants and shops
Various restaurants and retail spots are being added to the concourse throughout the rest of 2022 and into 2023. However, until they are complete, passengers can shop and dine at various retail and food kiosks throughout the concourse.
Also coming to the new concourse is a common-use lounge in the Eight Concourse known as The Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club. It has 3,500 square feet of prime space for passengers to relax, eat, or catch up on work while they wait for their flight.
According to the media kit: “The lounge will be open to travelers of all airlines, and access will be available to Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers, as well as Members of Priority Pass or by purchasing a day pass.”
Are you looking for a place to stay near Sky Harbor? Here is our list of top 5 hotels near the airport.
Shopping
Passengers can also browse a selection of shops in the new concourse. So whether they want to buy souvenirs and local merchandise, electronics, books, or travel accessories, passengers will find what they’re looking for in the new shops on the Eight Concourse!
Transportation to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport
Are you flying in or out of Sky Harbor Airport any time soon? Then be sure to book your ride with All Valley Transportation in advance. We’ll ensure you get to or from the airport on time and without hassle. And you don’t have to pay for increasingly expensive airport parking, let alone worry about parking at Sky Harbor. We’ll handle everything so you can focus on your travel plans.
Learn about why you should book airport transportation in advance in this post.
Did you learn a lot about Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport today?
Try one of these posts next:
- Valley Wide Airport Transportation: Starting Airport Limo Rates
- Your Phoenix Airport Transportation Service Guide
- Steps to take for Delayed Flights at Phoenix Airport
