Dubuque Airport Directors Unveil Terminal Project Plans

(DUBUQUE)- Big changes on the ground will impact the way you fly in and out of the Dubuque Regional Airport.

Directors are revealing more plans for a nearly $40 million  project that  will include a new terminal building.

About 80,000 people travel in and out of the Dubuque airport each year.

That's a  number airport officials would like to see grow. However, they say the plans for a new terminal are not in hopes of getting more customers, but instead simply making the experience of using this airport better for everyone.

James Walker and his wife are flying out of the Dubuque Regional Airport for the first time. Walker said,  "it's a small town airport, and it's fine."

But fine isn't good enough. Directors say not only is this terminal 65 years old,  it's too small.

Airport Manager Robert Grierson said, "We can't expand it anymore. We can't upgrade it anymore. Parking is insufficient. Aircraft parking is insufficient."

Crews are preparing the ground to make room for the new terminal. It will feature walls made of windows and limestone. It will be big enough to house multiple airlines if needed.

Grierson said, "we're not going to be passing on new costs to the air carriers or new costs to the passengers. "

Grierson says the project also won't cost property tax payers any money.

Instead the funds come from the F.A.A.'s  airport user fee. Dubuque gets a cut of the that fund and directors have been banking that money for this project for several years.

Grierson said, "If you do not fly. You do not pay into the project."

The entire project is expected to be complete by the end of 2016.