SPI Insights

The city of Laredo plans to use $18.5 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to expedite expansion of the Laredo International Airport.

Previous attempts to secure federal funding to expand the airport met with little success, but the city sees the CARES funding as an opportunity to jumpstart the project.

Expansion plans include enlarging the airport’s security checkpoint or relocating it within the terminal.

Additional amenity upgrades could include a new lounge or conference room, bathroom renovations, and other modern features air travelers have come to expect.

Negotiations to add a new carrier to the airport also are a consideration. Making these improvements now could facilitate the addition of a new gate or gates later.

The airport’s director discussed these plans and others with councilmembers at their May 18 meeting at which he also addressed the absence of a sense of place or identity in the terminal.

Initial work in what is likely to be a two-year project would include the creation of a development plan to detail the process scope. That would be followed by public input on a redesign.