Hollywood Burbank Airport's $1.3B terminal opens, ending a decades-long push to replace a 1930s hub

The first flight out of Hollywood Burbank Airport's brand-new terminal lifted off at 7 a.m. Tuesday, closing the book on a project that planners first floated in the 1980s and that ultimately cost nearly $1.3 billion to build.

The 355,000-square-foot facility replaces the airport's original 232,000-square-foot complex, whose core buildings opened in 1930. The new terminal sits on the opposite side of the airfield from the old one — a deliberate move rooted in safety. According to NBC Los Angeles, the Federal Aviation Administration determined decades ago that the existing terminal was too close to the runway to provide an adequate aircraft safety margin, a concern that drove the entire replacement effort.

The opening day went largely smoothly, LAist reported, aside from some last-minute gate changes and incorrect screens. When the first inbound flight — arriving from Las Vegas — touched down shortly before 7:30 a.m., the terminal was already busy with travelers who had arrived early to get ahead of any hiccups.

It's way nicer in here. I like the new tech, so way cleaner for sure. It was pretty easy to find the shuttle, [so we] returned the rental car then it took us straight to here.— Charlie Murray, traveler

This is my airport. If I can't fly out of this airport, I don't wanna go anywhere.— Jenell Morgan, Burbank resident

The new terminal retains the airport's 14 gates and keeps one of its most distinctive quirks: passengers still board and deplane outdoors rather than through covered jet bridges. What has changed is nearly everything else. The facility features expanded TSA screening areas, wireless charging stations at every gate, new restaurants and retail, animated displays, elevated ceilings, and a baggage claim area with three carousels consolidated into a single indoor hall — a notable upgrade from the old setup.

Airport officials also say the terminal is fully electric, meets current seismic and accessibility standards, and is among the first all-electric terminals in the country, according to ABC7.

The road to Tuesday's opening was long and contested. Planning began in the 1980s after the FAA's safety ruling, but the project stalled for decades amid neighborhood opposition. The turning point came in November 2016, when Burbank voters passed Measure B with 70% of the vote, clearing the way for construction. Airport officials ran a full operational test on September 19 with 1,500 volunteers who cycled through parking, ticketing, baggage handling, security screening, and gate operations before the public opening.

For returning travelers, the most immediate change is where to show up. The main entrance has moved from its longtime location off Thornton Avenue to the intersection of Winona Avenue and Hollywood Way. Valet service relocates to the new terminal, Lot E closes permanently, and rideshare pickups shift to a new dedicated lot. Rental-car customers will take shuttles to the existing consolidated facility across Hollywood Way. The Burbank Airport-North Metrolink station connects to the new terminal via a pedestrian path and an on-demand shuttle.

It's the most convenient airport there is. It's like a neighborhood airport.— Steve Wurzel, Calabasas resident

That neighborhood feel — the quality that makes Burbank a preferred alternative to LAX for millions of Southern Californians — is what airport officials say they set out to preserve even as they modernized. Whether the new building holds onto that reputation will be tested in the weeks ahead as the full passenger load moves in and the old terminal heads toward demolition.

Why it matters — For millions of Southern Californians who use Burbank as their preferred alternative to LAX, the new terminal changes where to enter, where to park, and how to get there — and resolves a runway-safety concern the FAA first flagged roughly 40 years ago.

Reported by abc7.com, nbclosangeles.com, timeout.com, laist.com