Idaho Falls Regional Airport reveals expansion plans

The Idaho Falls Regional Airport is preparing for a multimillion-dollar renovation project.

Airport Director Craig Davis finalized plans with architects last Thursday, and revealed those plans publicly on Monday.

According to those plans, passengers can expect to eventually see a slightly larger airport and a few more offices, but what travelers are going to notice the most is a more convenient experience at the check-in counter.

“In a nutshell, we’re expanding the southern end of our airport terminal,” Davis explained.

The new space will include more office space for airline operators and a new air cargo pick-up and drop-off pad.

The TSA baggage checkpoint, which sits in the middle of the lobby, will be moved into its own separate area.

Instead of dragging their own checked luggage to the checkpoint from the ticket counter, Davis said passengers can hand their bags over at the counter.

The project comes with a $2.9 million price tag, funded by the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Project. Idaho Falls Regional got the grant in June.

“Ultimately, the project will create a smoother and quicker passenger check-in process,” Davis said.

Davis said the expansion will not create any extra jobs, but he did enlist an Idaho-based architecture firm to get this project done.

Construction should take about a year.

“Please be patient during the construction in our airport,” Davis said. “In the end it’ll be a better experience for everyone.”

Davis plans on completing the project in phases, so it shouldn’t cause any delays for travelers.

Construction is expected to start in Spring 2013.