Plans for New International Airport Terminal Unveiled

By Odette Yousef

Atlanta, GA – Light, bright, and airy that's how officials described the design for the new international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, unveiled today.

The Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr. International Terminal adds 12 gates, and eliminates the redundant security check and baggage re-check that arriving passengers currently endure. It will let the airport handle 13 million passengers in 2015, up from 9 million last year.

Asked how a possible merger between Delta and Northwest would affect the plan, Airport General Manager Ben DeCosta said:

DECOSTA: It will add to the connectivity between the Southeast of the United States and the city of Atlanta, to all of Asia. And will most likely hasten the need for this new terminal.

The metal-and-glass paneled building, with a view of Atlanta's skyline, will be federally certified as an energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly structure. Total cost is estimated at 1.6 billion dollars.