Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI) is ready and willing if Southwest Airlines finalizes its much-hinted plans for an airport lounge.
That was the message from Shannetta Griffin, executive director of the Maryland Aviation Administration, as she stood in the light-filled atrium of BWI’s new connector, which adds a new, more spacious connection between Concourse A and Concourse B.
If Southwest does decide to add a network lounge (as the airline has hinted), there’s plenty of room at BWI.
“We certainly hope [a Southwest lounge]”I would appreciate it if you could speak to Mr. Jordan,” she said, referring to Southwest CEO Bob Jordan.
Jordan has hinted several times over the past year that the airline might add lounges, a first-class product and even long-haul international flights. In terms of lounges, he told CNBC in early December that Southwest was “actively pursuing” the idea.
BWI is Southwest’s third-largest base and the largest in the eastern U.S., both in terms of seats and departures, according to schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. And, even though the airline is in the midst of the most dramatic change in its history, the airport remains a key point on its route map, one that could become even more important if the airline decides to launch transatlantic flights in the future.
As for the $500 million AB Connector, BWI claims it is its largest-ever project and will improve the Southwest passenger experience.
It added 142,000 square feet of interior security, reclaimed space at five gates and created a single-level direct route between Concourse A and Concourse B. Previously, passengers transferring between the two concourses had to walk back to the main terminal area, then climb up to and through the food court. It’s all “airside” – or past security – but it’s a circuitous journey for passengers.
In other words, passengers transferring between Concourse A and Concourse B follow a sort of “U”-shaped path. The new connector connects both ends of the U-shaped connector.
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The five gates that the new space replaced were pushed to the west and rebuilt along the lines of Concourses A and B, a facility BWI opened for Southwest Airlines in 2005 at a cost of $264 million ($440 million in today’s dollars).
BWI will spend $48 million in 2021 to open a five-door Concourse A expansion for Southwest Airlines.
“Southwest is grateful to the Maryland Aviation Administration and the State of Maryland for their leadership in bringing the airport’s largest capital project to date to fruition,” a Southwest spokesperson said. “The A/B Connector project will improve the passenger experience and allow us to serve more customers with unparalleled hospitality and reliability.”
The spokesman declined to comment on whether Southwest would consider establishing a lounge at BWI.
“We’ve got a commitment from Southwest that we will continue to be their largest East Coast — and they don’t necessarily use the word ‘hub,'” said Griffin, who is looking for the right word to describe the airline’s large base at BWI. “But their East Coast suppliers.”
The airport’s latest traffic data shows Southwest carried 71% of the 26.1 million passengers who passed through BWI in the year through September.
The highlight of the new connector is the central atrium, with a glass ceiling covering the open space leading to the gate area. While not entirely column-free, its sweeping views are rare among BWI airports, which are known more for their low cost and functionality than their stunning architecture. Airport officials said the space will be home to local concessions by next summer.
“When people come into the airport, it’s the first place they come to and the last place they see when they come back from their trip,” Griffin said. “Keeping our passengers safe and comfortable [and] And then they now have this open space that’s very different from anything else they’ve seen at the airport. “
And, to make sure travelers know they are in Maryland, three pipes spanning the entirety of the new glass atrium are wrapped in state flags.
There’s a lot to like about the new connector: Floor-to-ceiling windows give travelers a wide view of the runway beyond. Bathrooms meet BWI’s award-winning standards. The boarding bridge is partially glass, which is rare at American airports.
Underneath the new connector is a new baggage-handling system that will allow Southwest to handle up to 3,200 bags per hour, said airport project manager Robert Kleinman. The current system can only handle 2,100 bags per hour.
