Airport Capital
Improvement Projects

The San Diego International Airport (SAN) Competition Plan documents the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority’s plan to enhance competition among airlines at SAN. Per Section 155 of the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, a Competition Plan is required from a commercial airport when one or two airlines handle over 50% of the total enplanements in one calendar year.

During 2012, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines were responsible for 51.9% of SAN’s 8,686,592 total annual enplaned passengers; Southwest for 37.6% and United for 14.3% The FAA approved the Competition Plan on May 27, 2014.

The eight areas covered in the Competition Plan are:

• Availability of gates and related facilities
• Leasing and subleasing arrangements
• Patterns of air service
• Gate assignment policy
• Gate use requirements
• Financial constraints
• Airport controls over airside and groundside capacity
• Airport intentions to build or acquire gates that would be used as common facilities

Documents:

• Read the Airport Competition Plan
• SAN’s Competition Plan Update of March 14, 2016
• FAA’s July 18, 2016 Approval of SAN’s Competition Plan Update
• SAN’S COMPETITION PLAN UPDATE OF JANUARY 12, 2018 
• FAA’S APRIL 30, 2018 APPROVAL OF SAN’S COMPETITION PLAN UPDATE

For questions or comments, please contact the Air Service Development Department at 619-400-2876.

The International Arrivals facility at San Diego International Airport (SAN) features six international gates, the latest technologies from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an expanded baggage claim and passenger wait area, and two public artworks.

Background

SAN welcomes more than 400,000 international arriving passengers annually. That number will continue to grow as more overseas nonstop flights are added. The new facility allows the airport to accommodate this increase in international passengers.

The 130,000 square-foot International Arrivals facility completed construction in June 2018.

As of March 2018, SAN offers nonstop flights to and from six countries – Japan, Germany, the U.K., Mexico and Canada.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $229.4 million. The new facility will serve these airlines: British Airways, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Spirit Airlines.

Stay Informed

• Fun Facts

For updates on airport news, watch this page and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, and Instagram. You can also sign up for SAN eNews, an electronic newsletter, by emailing [email protected].

The Rental Car Center at San Diego International Airport opened in January 2016 and received LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. This $316 million facility consolidated rental car operations for 14 companies into a single location. The 2-million-square-foot building is located on the north side of the airport, off Pacific Highway.

As the largest improvement project in the airport’s history, The Green Build helps meet the airport’s current and future demand for travel, while improving customer service and serving as an economic stimulus for the San Diego region. A $1 billion project that was completed on time and under budget, The Green Build created 1,000 jobs at peak construction. It opened for business on August 13, 2013.

Project highlights included:

• 10 new gates to reduce terminal congestion and provide expanded, more comfortable passenger waiting areas
• Enhanced curbside check-in, allowing passengers to print boarding passes, check baggage and view gate information at an easy-to-use curbside kiosk before entering the terminal
• Dual-level roadway to relieve curb-front traffic congestion by separating arriving and departing passengers
• More security lanes to improve flow of passengers through the terminal
• Expanded concession area providing more dining and shopping options
• Nation’s largest airport USO Center

On April 9, 2014, San Diego International Airport was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification for The Green Build terminal expansion from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The award makes San Diego International Airport home to the first LEED Platinum certified commercial airport terminal in the world.

The Terminal 2 Parking Plaza opened in May 2018. This three-story structure provides approximately 2,900 parking spaces. The facility includes sustainable design elements such as energy-efficient lighting and innovative stormwater management.

The New T1 is reimagining San Diego’s airport experience with expanded gate capacity, faster security, enhanced dining and retail, sustainable building practices, and seamless access improvements. Designed to reflect the region’s spirit, the terminal will offer light-filled spaces, enriched art installations, and new pathways for bikes and pedestrians.

For more than 80 years, San Diego International Airport (SAN) has served the air transportation needs of the San Diego County region. To maximize the airport’s efficiency and make the most of the airport’s 661-acre footprint, SAN completed a series of improvements on the north side of the airport.

Planned projects include:

• Receiving and Distribution Center – a 21,000 square-foot central delivery location for food, beverage, retail and other goods. The center reduces traffic on surrounding roadways by centralizing all truck deliveries. Airport vehicles deliver materials via on-airport roadways. This has reduced truck trips on Harbor Drive by 50–75 per day.
• Rental Car Center – a facility to house many of the rental car companies in a single building, dramatically reducing the number of shuttle buses circulating around the airport. The new Rental Car Center opened in January 2016.
• Fixed-Base Operator (FBO) Building – features a 19,000-square-foot terminal, a 250,000-square-foot ramp and five hangars on 12.4 acres. Its amenities include office space, a snooze room, VIP lounge, fitness center, viewing deck, gourmet café, and an executive conference room. Landmark began operating out of the new facility in August 2014.
• Roadway Improvements – expansion of the Washington Street entrance roadway at Pacific Highway; widening of Sassafras Street north of Pacific Highway; and a new terminal link roadway for rental car and parking shuttle buses, which removes traffic from Laurel Street and North Harbor Drive.
• Palm Street Park – as part of the airport’s north side construction program, an observation park is being planned at the corner of Palm Street and Admiral Boland Way. For a detailed description and information about an upcoming Public Art Visioning Workshop, click here.

To learn more about north side development, view the project fact sheet and FAQ, as well as the Receiving and Distribution Center fact sheet and Rental Car Center fact sheet and fun facts.

Small Business Profiles

SAN places a great emphasis on its commitment to providing business opportunities to local and small businesses, including women- and minority-owned and disabled veteran businesses. To date, $155 million has been awarded to local businesses and $60 million to small businesses for work on the Rental Car Center. Check out the inspiring stories some local and small businesses have shared of their experience working with the airport.

• Western Pump
• MarCon Engineering
• Supply Patriot
• SCST Engineering

Stay Informed

If you would like to sign up for email alerts about ongoing construction activity on the north side of San Diego International Airport, email us at [email protected] or call our construction hotline at (619) 400-2288. You can also become a fan of SAN on Facebook and stay connected viaTwitter, Flickr and YouTube.

The Terminal 1 Parking Plaza is a state-of-the-art, five-level facility designed to enhance parking convenience at San Diego International Airport. Spanning over 1.1 million square feet, the plaza offers 2,834 parking spaces in its initial phase, eaturing express ramps for efficient access. Additional feat20 short-duration spaces for quick drop-offs, a no-cost tire inflation station, intuitive color-based wayfinding, and an advanced parking guidance system.