New Restaurants, Shops, and Family Spaces Coming to Tucson Airport

Have you flown out of the Tucson International Airport lately? If so, you probably have noticed that there is a lot of construction going on.

In the coming weeks and months, you can expect continued work as the airport breathes new life into its current space.

The new updates - dubbed A Brighter TUS - include a variety of terminal facility improvements, enhanced concession and revenue opportunities, the upgrade of critical building systems, and maximizing use of under-utilized space. The project aims to "provide TUS customers with a world class experience."

Improvements and additions include:

• Relocating and expanding the security checkpoints to either end of the terminal. Checkpoints will be expanded from three to four lanes to improve queuing.
• Improved concession spaces, including the addition of a pre-security restaurant and combined gift shop in the center gallery.
• More post-security amenities for passengers, such as improved concessionaire options and a designated area for a business center and a children’s play area (yay!).
• The addition of composure areas immediately following security checkpoints for passengers to situate after passing through security
• Additional natural lighting with more windows overlooking airside
• Open design for increased visibility of terminal, including center core to either checkpoint and view of the ramp from checkpoints
• Arizona color palette and natural materials
• Self-directing wayfinding with colored terrazzo

If construction stays on schedule, two new stores will open in May - Hudson Gates Pass and Hudson Fort Lowell, one on each concourse – offering a variety of items including local gifts and souvenirs as well as travel necessities.  Shortly after that, Arroyo Trading Post and Agustín Kitchen Express will open in the Centre Pointe. Another store, Ink on the B Concourse, will feature all kinds of reading material.

In June, some of the new food concessions are slated to open on Concourse A - including Sir Veza's Taco Garage, Beyond Bread, Pie Five Pizza, and The Maverick. Those will be followed by Thunder Canyon Brewery, El Charro Cafe, Built Custom Burgers, and Bruegger’s Bagels on Concourse B.

Also in June: Noble Hops is coming to the Centre Pointe on the ticketing level for all to enjoy pre-security.

You may have noticed there’s a theme in these names. President/CEO Bonnie Allin says, "The goal is to give the airport a sense of place. There should be no mistake that passengers have arrived in Tucson. The food and beverage concessions will offer a taste of Tucson. And visitors who might need to pick up one more memory of Tucson before leaving will have that opportunity as well."

Timing is right for this project since airline passengers using Tucson International Airport grew by 3.4% to almost 3.3 million in 2016. This was the largest increase at the airport since 2007. This is all good news for Tucson residents and visitors!

Stay up-to-date with airport changes by following @tucsonairport and @tucsontopia on twitter. You can use hashtag #abrighterTUS to share your own photos and ideas.