LOS ANGELES, CA – Hollywood Burbank Airport opened its new passenger terminal, a project costing nearly $1.3 billion, to travelers Tuesday morning in Burbank, replacing a complex whose original buildings date to 1930.
The terminal opened at 5 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, and the first flights were scheduled to depart at 7 a.m. The 355,000-square-foot building at 2827 N. Hollywood Way has 14 gates.
It replaces a 232,000-square-foot complex whose original buildings sit too close to the runways. The new terminal has restaurants, lounges and shops.
The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority runs the project, which voters authorized in 2016 through Measure B.
First flight leaves around 7 a.m.
An Alaska Airlines flight to Santa Rosa was the first to depart from the new terminal, at about 7 a.m.
Passengers still board and deplane outdoors, because the terminal has no covered jet bridges. The airport keeps the same number of gates, 14, that the previous complex had.
One checkpoint and a single baggage hall
The terminal has one central eight-lane Transportation Security Administration checkpoint instead of the separate screening areas used in the old complex. It also has 43 common-use ticket counters.
Baggage claim has three carousels in a single indoor hall. The walk from the entrance to the farthest gate is more than 300 feet shorter than it was before.
The new building is about 53% larger than the 232,000-square-foot complex it replaces.
Main entrance moves to Winona Avenue
The main entrance is now at Hollywood Way and Winona Avenue, replacing the entrance off Thornton Avenue. A new parking structure with more than 2,000 spaces opened directly across from the terminal.
Parking Lot E closed permanently. Valet service moved to the new terminal, and a new rideshare pickup lot opened near it.
Rental car customers use shuttles to the existing facility across Hollywood Way. A pedestrian path and an on-demand shuttle connect the terminal to the Burbank Airport-North Metrolink station.
Old buildings fell short of current standards
The original buildings of the old complex opened in 1930. Under current Federal Aviation Administration standards, they sit too close to the runways.
They also do not meet current California seismic or accessibility standards. The new terminal was built as a replacement for the old complex rather than as an addition to it.
Officials mark the opening at Oct. 5 ceremony
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Oct. 5 with Sen. Adam Schiff, Rep. Laura Friedman, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin and Burbank Mayor Tamala Takahashi.
Takahashi said at the event that the facility takes “everything you love about the experience” and brings it “into the new era” with modern amenities, greater accessibility, enhanced safety and a welcoming design. She said the terminal keeps the 14-gate airport the community knows and called it the region’s “front door to Southern California.”
Omishakin said of the design that the airport did not want to lose the nostalgic feeling of the other terminal. Barger noted how unusual it is for a major public infrastructure project to come in “on time and under budget.”
Federal grants support the project
Schiff celebrated the unveiling of the terminal at the ribbon-cutting. His office says he delivered more than $8 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for the project.
Friedman announced in a June 27, 2025, release that the Airport Authority received $8,047,986 through the fiscal year 2025 Airport Infrastructure Grant Program. She said the grant “will support Phase 1 of a major infrastructure project at Hollywood Burbank Airport.”
According to the release, that phase will construct 31,745 square yards of apron space, which Friedman described as “critical for accommodating aircraft operations and improving overall efficiency and resiliency at the airport.”
The project relies on federal grants and airport revenues from airlines, concessionaires, hangar tenants and parking fees. According to initial reports, it uses no state, county or city funds.
Trial run tested systems before opening
A Sept. 19 trial run with 1,500 volunteers tested parking, ticketing, baggage handling, security and gates ahead of Tuesday’s opening.
The terminal is all-electric and on track for LEED Gold certification. It has a 750-kilowatt rooftop solar system, reclaimed water for irrigation and more than 300 electric vehicle charging stations.
According to initial reports, the terminal is expected to serve between 6 million and 7 million passengers a year.
Terminal is now open to travelers
The City of Burbank’s Community Development Department maintains a page on the airport replacement terminal.
The new terminal is now open and handling flights, with the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority overseeing operations at the airport.
