Say Hello to the New Salt Lake City Airport

By Aysia Reed

There’s exciting news for travelers who have Salt Lake City Utah on their itinerary!

Utah has opened up the Salt Lake City Airport with a whopping $4 billion terminal. The SLC Airport replaced the decrepit 1960 airport complex, which was overdue for a much-needed transformation, to upkeep its position as the twenty-third busiest airport in North America.

The airport has one terminal and two concourses. An aviation runway and three air carrier runways comprise the airfield.

Headquartered at the airport is Delta Airlines, where they operate the reservation center.

AeroMexico, Alaska, American Airlines, Frontier, JetBlue,Southwest, United are the other airlines at the airport. 

There are a plethora of new updates to the Salt Lake City Airport, and this guide is what to expect on your journey.

GoNOMAD spoke with Nancy Volmer, director of communications and marketing for Salt Lake City International Airport.

Volmer elaborated on the details for passengers at the new airport.

“For passengers, some of the advantages include on-site car rentals, electric outlets at each seat in the gate hold areas, more shops and restaurants, a larger parking garage, and additional international gates.

From an airport operations standpoint, the facility is more sustainable and efficient. In addition, the facilities meet or exceed seismic standards for airports,” said Volmer.

Sustainability 

SLC Airport took extreme measures in sustainability to go above and beyond the typical airport standards. We all know if you take a trip to the airport, taking an uber is somewhere in that equation.

Luckily, the entirety of the complex is supplied with uber economical Zoned Displacement HVAC systems. This means that a better quality air system is created compared to the regular HVAC system.

Concourse and terminal building windows are strategically placed in a northern-facing direction to allow for utmost natural lighting while simultaneously lowering radiant heat.

Around 8,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases are saved from being freed, thanks to the ground support vehicle fleet that is electrically powered.

When the airport is nearly vacant and not a bag is on-site, the baggage conveyor system closes down, unlike a normal system that is continuously operating. Once bags need to be put on the luggage conveyor, the system is started back up again.

Salt Lake City Airport was awarded the LEED Gold certification due to the complex’s environmentally friendly features and productivity.

At first, the complex was aiming for the Silver LEED status, but their outstanding efforts to be more green awarded them the top award.

Fitting perfectly with the airport’s sustainable characteristics is the natural theme of the airport.

Forest green flooring covers the ground to capture the nature of Utah, while amber-shaded walls reflect the desert regions of the state.

The Canyon is a terminal showcase work of art that welcomes travelers when boarding or departing. The art piece covers over 57,000 square feet, and gigantic round windows are close by filled with beaming natural light.

The Falls is another masterpiece displayed at the Salt Lake City Airport, which is a towering hand-pulled glass sculpture.

“We have wall wraps in each restroom, known as Whimsy Walls that represent each artist’s interpretation of Utah.

The Mid-Concourse Tunnel’s art murals represent the four seasons of Utah and the permanent Central Tunnel will have an art installation titled The River Tunnel,” said Volmer.

In total, 18 art pieces are at the complex, and all echo Utah’s wilderness.

Snacks and Shopping

We all know traveling calls for good food, and Salt Lake City Airport is perfectly equipped to fulfill any cravings.

Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options are offered at some of the restaurants, and most ingredients are locally produced. Some restaurants included are Market Street Grill, Shake Shack, and Panera Bread.

Squatters Brew Pub is extremely popular at the complex and is highly suggested by travelers at the airport due to their delicious daily specials and world-class beer.

The restaurant, just like the airport, is environmentally friendly by working constantly to reduce its carbon footprint. They also only purchase environmentally friendly goods to supply their restaurant.

For shoppers, there are plenty of retail options to choose from.

Giftology, MAC Cosmetics, and LEGO are several of the well-known retailers at the SLC Airport, but local brands such as Hip and Bumble also are at the complex.

Unlike most airports, the food and retail prices are “real.” This entails that Salt Lake City Airport does not raise any of its prices just for the sake of being an airport. Their prices match the retail and restaurant costs in the real world outside of their complex.

Miscellaneous Features

Delta Sky Club is an open year-round outdoor deck at the airport, providing a breathtaking view of Utah’s scenery. It is located on the second level of the complex and is perfect for unwinding in between travels.

Wi-Fi is something vital to all of us nowadays. Fortunately, SLC Airport has upped its Wi-Fi system to assure travelers the best experience. Every single gate and waiting area is also supplied with power plug-ins.

The Greeting Room is a comfy area for passengers or tagalongs to relax in cozy furniture while being able to enjoy by the room’s fireplace.

Blue Lemon restaurant is also in the same area for those who get hungry or need a quick snack.

Have a bike? No problem. What about skis? Also not an issue.

The baggage system allows for oversized luggage to be placed onto the same baggage belt as normal-sized bags.

Having a car with you is also not a problem. Salt Lake City Airport has a parking garage with nearly 4,000 available spaces.

Lights are used to pinpoint open spaces in order to assure time efficiency. If you forget where you parked, you are in good fortune because there is now an app for that! The app will give you a vehicle locator that will direct you right to your parked car.

The location of the airport is a great advantage for travelers.

“Being 15 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City is attractive when recruiting meetings and conventions while being 45 minutes from 10 world-class ski resorts is a big selling point for the ski and travel industries.

In addition, the airport is the gateway to 100 golf courses as well as state and national parks,” said Volmer.

A curbside check-in bag service is available through Skycap.

The baggage service is located and connected to the parking garage, and also has a location at the Gateway Center.