Miami International Airport opens new hub
Miami North Terminal Rotunda.MIAMI, Aug 1 — On July 31, Miami International Airport (MIA) opened the new three-level North terminal serving American Airlines and other international carriers. The new terminal will start processing an average of 22,000 passengers a day.
The 37,160 sq m facility includes a new lobby with easy access to all ground transportation, a 72-lane federal inspection area that could serve up to 2,000 passengers per hour and five baggage claim carrousels located in a new spacious baggage-claim area. With these new facilities officials expect to shave 30-45 minutes off the total time for connecting travellers.
After three years of construction, the US$180 million (RM540 million) project is the last phase of a US$3 billion project which started back in the 1990s to improve and modernise the airport’s Northern terminal.
Some of the most recent additions of this long-term project include a US$130 million Skytrain opened in 2010 and a US$220 million baggage handling system which started operating back in March.
MIA’s international traffic has increased in the past couple of years, with nine per cent growth between 2010 and 2011. For the first six months of 2012, around 9.6 million international passengers travelled through Miami International Airport, eight per cent more than during the first half of 2011. — AFP/Relaxnews
