Travelers flying in and out of Port Columbus International Airport during the upcoming holiday season will notice construction projects taking place.
New facilities and accommodations being constructed are aimed at making Port Columbus one of the finest airports for a facility of its size, said spokeswoman Angie Neal.
Among the expansion projects taking place are the additions of five gates in Concourse C, a new Air Traffic Control Tower, short-term and long-term parking garage expansion and lengthening the north runway by 1,000 feet.
“The purpose of these projects is to make the airport run more efficiently,” Neal said. “And to allow for more flights to come in and out of Port Columbus.”
The additions of five new gates, four of which will be operated by Delta Airlines, will add to the 33 gates at Port Columbus.
The Federal Aviation Administration is overseeing the funding and construction of the new air traffic control tower. The tower is being built to accommodate increased air traffic.
The existing tower is obsolete from a technology standpoint and is not suitable for upgrades given the limited space, Neal said. The new tower, a 224-foot, 39,000 square foot building, is estimated to cost $19 million and will be 100 percent funded with federal dollars.
The airport has also added new traffic signs and re-paved roads and parking spaces in the garages in hopes of making the holiday-season travel run more efficiently.
“We don’t anticipate too many problems during Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Neal said.
Pete La Rose, a sophomore in marketing, is from Atlanta and flies from Port Columbus each time he travels home.
“I think Port Columbus is one of the easiest airports to get in and out of,” La Rose said. “You can get off the plane, grab your bags and get to your car in about 15 minutes. It’s definitely more convenient than Atlanta’s airport,” La Rose said.
Ohio State students who are traveling this holiday season can take advantage of COTA’s express shuttle service, which runs between the Ohio Union and Port Columbus three days prior to and three days after academic breaks. The shuttle is free to any student with a BuckID and runs every hour from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Sameer Kishore, a sophomore in business, used the express shuttle last year when traveling to visit friends in Virginia.
“It’s great because taking a cab out to the airport will run you about $24,” Kishore said. “This is free, and it drops you right off on campus.”
Airport officials recommend passengers allow extra time because of increased traffic.
“During normal travel times, we recommend you arrive an hour before your scheduled departure,” Neal said. “But with the increase of travelers, it’s better to allow an extra half hour into your plans just in case of any delays.”
