SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio International Airport will deliver 18 gates in its new Terminal C, Jesus Saenz, director of airports for the City of San Antonio, told the crowd gathered on Dec. 2 at the inaugural State of the Airport breakfast.
The airport initially planned to have 17 gates.
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The upsized terminal, part of a $1.2 billion Terminal Development Program, remains on track for a 2028 opening with 850,000 square feet, a single security checkpoint and 40,000 square feet of concessions space.
Saenz told city business and civic leaders at the sold-out event, co-presented by the airport and the San Antonio Business Journal, that SAT is projecting 11.41 million passengers for 2025, a new record that exceeds the pre-pandemic high of 10.36 million set in 2019.
The airport will end 2025 with 49 nonstop destinations, up from 34 to 35 before the Covid-19 pandemic, after adding five new routes this year.
Air Canada will launch nonstop service to Toronto in May 2026, marking the airport’s first new scheduled international route in years.
A 50th destination is in the works, too, according to Saenz, but he said he’d like to see the airport get up to 60.
“Airports are more than transportation — they are engines,” Saenz said. “They power tourism, trade, talent and investment.”
In J.D. Power’s 2025 customer satisfaction survey, SAT ranked second among Texas airports and 12th among large U.S. airports.
A sweeping concessions overhaul is underway, with more than 75% of new outlets featuring local brands.
Tre Pizzeria opened in November and a Univision store opened in December.
Coming in 2026 are Southerleigh Fine Foods & Brewery, Pharm Table, Freight Fried Chicken, Alamo Tequila Bar, 2M BBQ, Bakery Lorraine and a Military City USA store, among others.
A new 3,000-space parking garage and ground transportation center, with ticketless entry and reserved spots, is scheduled to open in late 2027.
Assistant City Manager Jeff Coyle said the airport generates a $7.4 billion annual economic impact and supports 55,000 jobs. The Terminal C expansion is expected to add another 16,000 permanent jobs.
Read more of this story at the San Antonio Business Journal website.
Editor’s note: This story was published through a partnership between KSAT and the San Antonio Business Journal.