YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Air Terminal has embarked on a new project to modernize its facilities, breaking ground on a canopy replacement effort. The project aims to replace three canopies covering sidewalks leading to the terminal and includes the installation of a new roof and HVAC system.
Yakima Air Terminal Director Robert Hodgman emphasized the necessity of these improvements.
“This part of the building hasn’t been touched in a long, long time. And in the same way that the roofing is out of date and past its useful life, there are many systems inside the building that are old and need to be upgraded just to meet modern day standards,” he said.
Construction at the terminal has temporarily altered traffic lanes in front of the airport, but Hodgman expects them to return to normal as early as next week. He highlighted the importance of enhancing the passenger experience to encourage more local travel.
“There are a lot of people that live very close here to the airport, but for various reasons, they decide to drive to Tri-Cities Pasco or to SeaTac or even to Portland,” Hodgman said. “And we want to make this experience so pleasant for them that they choose Yakima. In fact, that’s what we’ve got on our sign out front. Support local.”
Hodgman called on the local community to invest in their airport by choosing to fly from Yakima.
“Consider holistically, not just the dollars and cents of the ticket itself, but your overall traveling experience,” he stated. “The public has been very accepting and very patient and flexible as they move through it, so we would ask them to fly YKM.”
Looking ahead, Hodgman mentioned plans to bring a restaurant back inside the terminal, along with future projects including a new baggage claim, family restroom, and solar-covered parking.
