Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is embarking on an update of its master plan to prepare for growth over the next 20 years, potentially getting an answer on the possibility of a south gate complex.
The airport hasn't updated its master plan since 1999. Hartsfield-Jackson general manager Louis Miller made updating the plan a priority when he took the helm of the airport last fall.
On the 4,700-acre airport site, "there's a lot of expansion capabilities for the airport but we don't know what they are," Miller said. "I can't define them right now, so that's why we're going to do the master plan."
Miller said possibilities for growth at the airport include a south gate complex and a sixth runway.
After soliciting proposals, the airport selected Ricondo & Associates, a Chicago-based aviation consulting firm that specializes in airport master planning and other work. Now they need Atlanta city council approval of the contract.
The contract is for the master plan update and on-call airport planning services for three years, with an option for a two-year renewal. It's worth up to $3 million for the first year.
The master plan update itself is expected to take 18 months to complete, involving tenants, airlines, other airport users and the community through public meetings.
Miller said Ricondo & Associates would first forecast aviation demand for the next 20 years in five-year increments based on passenger numbers, takeoffs and landings and cargo. It would then update the airport layout plan and determine how the airport will meet demand over the next 20 years.
That includes setting triggers for future development that depend on changing forecasts and different industry scenarios. It also includes analysis and studies of concessions, gates, renovations of terminals, passenger flow, terminal signs and layouts, traffic and parking, ground transportation, runways and other infrastructure. The master plan update would also involve "conceptual level" cost estimates and cost-benefit analysis.
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