Miami-Dade County officials are evaluating the possibility of building a second commercial passenger-focused airport as capacity concerns grow at Miami International Airport, which is currently operating at about 80% of its airfield capacity. According to a report from the county mayor, the airport is approaching the threshold at which the FAA recommends expanding infrastructure to avoid delays.
“Capacity challenges could impact growth, create travel delays, and affect our competitiveness,” Miami-Dade Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez told Local 10 News. “We have to act now and plan ahead.”
County commissioners are considering three primary options, including constructing a new airport or expanding existing facilities such as Miami Executive Airport or Miami Homestead General Aviation Airport to incorporate broader commercial operations. The commission has directed the mayor to provide a funding strategy by early June. If approved, officials told local NBC 6 that it could take 12 to 15 years to expand an existing airport, or up to 20 years to construct a new facility.
The discussion comes as part of long-term planning efforts highlighted at an annual “State of the Ports” event, where officials outlined projections of increased passenger and cargo demand.
The airport’s $14 billion capital improvement plan aims to accommodate 77 million passengers and 4.2 million tons of cargo by 2040.
This will be interesting to see what Dade county comes up with. Other than building in the swamp, there is no land open enough to build a new airport. NIMBY’s would probably stop any attempt at eminent domain to gain land. The other options to expand existing fields might work at Homestead, but who wants to drive that distance to Miami?
I helped build New Tamiami airport in exchange for my first flying lessons back when it was a long drive from Dadeland out on a wilderness Prairie. It is now surrounded by industrial, commercial, and high density housing. Most affordable option for passenger service expansion is former Homestead AFB and extend the high speed brightline and/or monorail to it.
I admit total ignorance of building large capital projects, but twenty years to completion? We went from barely getting a small satellite into orbit to the moon in eleven years. does it really take twenty years to build an airport?
Waldom, there are many differences, beginning with the need to buy all those square miles of land. Whatever you and I dislike about how major project works projects are sited, you’d dislike it a lot more if a government agency had the authority to pick a spot without the public input process.