Omaha Eppley Airfield

[OmahaJaysCU]

I was in the south terminal today, and the new restaurant/lounge looks FANTASTIC.  Also, the construction on the parking garage is well underway.

[huskerJay]

Why isn't this getting more press? I think this is pretty big for the city. I have always thought Eppley was not a great indicator of our city and gave a bad first impression. I love that we are growing and throwing money into our airport.

[StreetsOfOmaha]

Can someone PLEEEEEEASE snap some pictures!?

[Brad]

Can someone PLEEEEEEASE snap some pictures!?

Nothing yet, just a bunch of mud next to the parking garage.

[Brad]

I talked to my source last night from the Airport.  He said that the third terminal will start construction in 3 years.  After the parking garage, they are going to move the surface parking to the old Marriott to make room for the third terminal.

[OmahaJaysCU]

Wow that would be fantastic!  

Aren't there still a lot of empty gates though?  In the South Terminal it looked as if there was one empty gate,  I haven't been in the North Terminal in a couple years, so I a am not sure.

Regardless, this would be huge.

[Omababe]

Aren't there still a lot of empty gates though?  In the South Terminal it looked as if there was one empty gate,  I haven't been in the North Terminal in a couple years, so I a am not sure.

I know when American and TWA "merged" they did a bunch of re-shuffling on the south side, skrunched up Midwest and Frontier and American, then moved Delta over by Northwest, so I think there are a few free ones on the south side.

On the north side, which is the one I fly out of most, since I usually fly Southwest or Untied, there are a couple gates that you really don't know for sure. The one in the very corner, forward as you walk in, Southwest sometimes uses in the morning, but they don't have Southwest logos over it. America West used to use it back when they were America West.

Then there's one at the right side of Untied which you really don't know if it's a separate gate or not, 15 maybe? Way in the corner, but right next to the next one. There's an extra jet-way and they sometimes use it, but never seem to announce flights out of that gate.

[Mr.Nuke]

Aren't there still a lot of empty gates though?  In the South Terminal it looked as if there was one empty gate,  I haven't been in the North Terminal in a couple years, so I a am not sure.

There is one vacant gate in each terminal.  B15 in the north terminal is vacant as well as A3 in the south.   That isn't to say some of the gates that are "occupied" see a lot of use.  Also within the next several years i would expect Express Jet branded operations gone, and there remains a very good possibility that out of the four airlines Continental, Delta, Northwest, and United only two will remain.  In order to build a new terminal Omaha would either need an existing carrier to turn Eppley into a focus city or a new carrier that plans a hub here.  The last doesn't seem too likely.

[StreetsOfOmaha]

A lot can change in three years time.  I hope they are planning on it, and that they're finalizing the design so we can see some renderings within the next couple years.

[OmahaJaysCU]

A lot can change in three years time.  I hope they are planning on it, and that they're finalizing the design so we can see some renderings within the next couple years.

If they do expand, I hope they will make the design more modern.  I have had enough of the sand colored brick and brown trim.  

Won't happen, but nice to dream about add another modern looking terminal then renovate the other two to make them match.  

[omaja]

Aren't there still a lot of empty gates though?  In the South Terminal it looked as if there was one empty gate,  I haven't been in the North Terminal in a couple years, so I a am not sure.

There is one vacant gate in each terminal.  B15 in the north terminal is vacant as well as A3 in the south.   That isn't to say some of the gates that are "occupied" see a lot of use.  Also within the next several years i would expect Express Jet branded operations gone, and there remains a very good possibility that out of the four airlines Continental, Delta, Northwest, and United only two will remain.  In order to build a new terminal Omaha would either need an existing carrier to turn Eppley into a focus city or a new carrier that plans a hub here.  The last doesn't seem too likely.

The possible Delta-Northwest and Continental-United mergers wouldn't really free up that much space.  Look at a combined Delta-Northwest:
OMA-ATL 5x daily
OMA-CVG 3x daily
OMA-DTW 4x daily
OMA-MEM 3x daily
OMA-MSP 7x weekdays
OMA-SLC 2x daily
Northwest and Delta have a total of four gates at Eppley, and Northwest already has 7 flights per day per gate during the week.  Eliminating CVG and MEM and upgrading capacity on ATL, MSP, and DTW would not reduce daily departures by enough to consolidate the operations of both airlines into two gates.  If anything, it would open up one gate and the combined Delta-Northwest could move to A1-A3, leaving A4 and A5 open for another airline.

Continental and United would face the same problem: eliminate Cleveland, fine.  Upgrade more Chicago flights to 757s, fine.  But that wouldn’t reduce their total enough to consolidate into two gates.
OMA-CLE 3x weekdays
OMA-DEN 6x weekdays
OMA-EWR 3x weekdays
OMA-IAH 6x weekdays
OMA-ORD 7x weekdays

So what would the mergers do to Eppley?  The most I see happening is possibly two more gates becoming available.  Of course, this is assuming the successful merging of the four airlines, the consolidation of their hubs, and upgrading capacity on remaining hub routes.

Some of thoughts on a new terminal:

1. Something like Detroit’s new North Terminal project would be amazing for Omaha.  It’s a 26-gate facility with a layout that would fit perfectly to the south Eppley’s current terminal.

2. The new terminal would be for the future.  I would much rather they invest money in a new terminal NOW as opposed to patch work and additions to the current terminal and concourses because the terminal is rather old itself, and will eventually need to be replaced anyway.
3. How is Omaha supposed to actively attract service from different carriers with, currently, only two available gates (one of which, B15, I think is used occasionally by United)?
4. Expansion should not hinge on the Delta-Northwest and Continental-United mergers.  Omaha is a spoke for all four carriers and will not feel the pain of merging like the airlines’ focus cities and hubs.  They won’t simply dump hubs like CLE, CVG, and MEM and not replace the service and capacity in some way.
5. Eppley is not the most beautiful piece of architecture out there. (Read: it’s really, really ugly).  Do we really want an outdated-looking terminal greeting the increasing number of people who visit our city?

[Erik]

I wish they would construct a massive new terminal, and when they start to use it that they would tear down and rebuild the old two..

They need too in a very bad way..

[OmahaJaysCU]

I liked the idea someone threw out a year or so ago about connecting the 2 terminals to create one large one.  It seems to me that wouldn't be too difficult to accomplish...

[MTO]

How about spending some of that money on installing a visual barrier between the airport property and the Iowa side of the late.

[Omababe]

There is one vacant gate in each terminal.  B15 in the north terminal is vacant as well as A3 in the south.

Just an update here, last week they moved my Newark flight to B18. It had been in the opposite corner. Continental now has their signs on B18 and B19, two of the gates that Southwest was using, but I don't think they officially claimed.

I hope Southwest isn't cutting back!

[UNOstudent]

Continental's Omaha-Cleveland route will end.

As of Sept. 3, 2008, CO will be reducing frequencies in certain markets and will also discontinue service between its hubs shown below and the following cities or airports:

   Houston George Bush Intercontinental:  Cali, Colombia, Chatanooga, Tenn.,
   Guayaquil, Ecuador, Hartford, Conn., Monclova, Mexico, Montgomery, Ala.,
   Oakland, Calif., Palm Springs, Calif., Reno, Nevada, Sarasota, Fla.,
   Tallahassee, Fla., and Washington - Dulles.

   Newark Liberty: Albuquerque, N.M., Cologne, Germany, Santiago, Dominican
   Republic, Sarasota, Fla., Salt Lake City, Utah, San Jose, Calif., and
   Tucson, Ariz.

   Cleveland Hopkins: Austin, Texas, Birmingham, Ala., Charleston, S.C.,
   Charleston, W. Va., Cincinnati, Ohio, Des Moines, Iowa, Detroit, Mich.,
   Green Bay, Wis., Greensboro, N.C., Lexington, Ky., Little Rock, Ark.,
   Memphis, Tenn., Nashville, Tenn., Norfolk, Va.; Oklahoma City, Okla.,
   Omaha, Neb., Ottawa, Canada, San Antonio, Texas, San Diego, Calif.,
   Sarasota, Fla., Savannah, Ga., Toledo, Ohio, Tulsa, Okla., Washington-
   Dulles.

   Guam A.B. Won Pat: Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zht ... highlight=

[Coyote]

Eppley embarks on $17 million project to redo taxiway

About 4,500 feet of a 40-year-old taxiway will be completely replaced. The asphalt taxiway will be replaced by concrete, which is stronger. In addition, a shorter, completely new taxiway will be built to better connect other taxiways and the one that's being replaced. The new shorter taxiway should be built this year and the replacement work will be done next year, Smithey said.

[Choleric]

Eppley Airfield has plans for the future

Imagine your future flight out of Omaha's Eppley Airfield.

Your driver turns off Abbott Drive and cruises up a ramp for a curbside drop-off right outside the terminal's second level — the new location for airline ticket counters and bag check.

After passing through the central security checkpoint, you climb onto a moving walkway that takes you to your departure gate, one of 28 in a line along the tarmac.

That vision may not be pie-in-the-sky. In fact, it's laid out in Eppley's new long-range plan, one designed to take air travel in Omaha well into this century.

The vision represents a major departure from Eppley's previous plans, which would have accommodated growth by building a second terminal to house a new, third passenger concourse.

Instead, Eppley would build onto its current structure and consolidate the two existing concourses into a single, much larger one. The terminal's top level generally would be for departing passengers, the lower for those arriving in Omaha.

Airport officials say the overall goal is a simple one: to make sure that as air traffic grows, getting in and out of Eppley continues to be a relatively painless process.

Looks like you guys were right on about connecting the two terminals together in the middle...

[Stargazer]

[almighty_tuna]

 :shock:  

   

Holy buckets!!!!!!!  That looks amazing!

Love the upper/lower level organization...hopefully there are ways to work rail into the plan as well.  

Wow!

Now when the economy begins its upswing, Smithy's replacement needs to take advantage of Eppley not losing a lot of ground and reach out to airlines and relocating companies to pimp out the airport.  Will be excited to see this take shape in 10yrs!

[Stargazer]

Hopefully with his replacement will come a new website!  That thing dates to the dawn of the 'internets'.

[almighty_tuna]

Hopefully with his replacement will come a new website!  That thing dates to the dawn of the 'internets'.

[omahahawk]

: Will be excited to see this take shape in 10yrs!

Do you really think 10 years?  I can see making steps towards this in 10 years but I'd be shocked if it even approached this in that amount of time.  I'm thinking more like 20 years.

[omaja]

While I am excited to see they are thinking expansion, I am really disappointed in the time line.  Eppley needs a face lift as of 10 years ago. But I guess, then, they better make it count.  I'm hoping for something really nice, considering they are basically building an entirely new terminal on top of the old one.

I'm thinking something like this...

...with ample curbside space, split arrival and departure levels...

...ample ticketing space...

...open, airy gate areas...

...modern jet bridges...


...spacious baggage claim facilities...

...a nifty arrivals/departures board (just because)...

...and maybe, just maybe, an integrated light rail terminal for Eppley-to-Downtown service, connecting to the rest of the metro-wide system.

(Photos taken from this thread at Skyscrapercity.com.)

Is that really all that much to ask for?  :;):

These are of Francisco de Sá Carneiro International Airport in Porto, Portugal.  It is an airport that served around four million passengers in 2007 (comparable to Eppley's 4.4 million in 2007), with a metropolitan area of around two million (comparable to Omaha's catchment area of over 1.5 million).  This is definitely within Omaha's reach.  Let's make it happen!  Sooner rather than later, preferably.

[Stargazer]

Now you're dreaming!

[almighty_tuna]

: Will be excited to see this take shape in 10yrs!

Do you really think 10 years?  I can see making steps towards this in 10 years but I'd be shocked if it even approached this in that amount of time.  I'm thinking more like 20 years.

Well, i'm not expecting completion in 10yrs by any means.  But I think in 10yrs time we will have detailed plans, a clearer timetable and with any luck, serious discussions about financing and implementation.

[OmahaJaysCU]

First off, I love it.  I can't wait to see it take shape.  Second, I get the impression that they want to go at all these plans at once.  Wouldn't it make more sense to do it in stages?

[Big E]

You're my new hero.

Eat buffered analgesic.  (Name that game without Googling it for +50 Big E points.)

[Adam]

I love the new plan.  It is a much more efficient use of space compared to the old plan.

[nativeomahan]

Having just flown through Eppley earlier today I can say that, except for the pee poor food offerings, the place really isn't badly designed.  Yes, separating arrivals and departures by floor makes sense, and most of the larger airports do it, but Omaha isn't a larger airport, and never will be.  I don't expect any major construction to the Eppley terminal in the next 10 years, so my suggestion is for everyone to just chill on this story.  The plans will no doubt morph once or twice more before anything is ever constructed.  Look how air traffic has changed so much in the past 10 years.  It is night and day different now.  Why won't that happen again in another 10 or 15 years?

That said, I love the pics from the Porto airport.  I wonder what their air passenger traffic is?  I suspect it is much higher then Eppley's, plus they have international flights, and the need for customs.

[NovakOmaha]

I agree with the idea of upper and lower roads.  I don't see a burning need for 26 gates given that OMA doesn't use the 20 it has but perhaps with sustained growth there could be a need.  I still think they could simply add gates to the current ones.  I just don't see the need for a whole new terminal.  The current configuration is efficient and works quite well.

Of course if you read the comments from our friends in Lincoln we should build an international airport between Omaha and Lincoln.

Anyway, one thing that would be nice would be a hotel attached to the terminal.

[Big E]

As long as that first floor has street level retail and an Old Market feel, I think it will be a success.  I just hope Sarpy County doesn't build an airport first.  

[almighty_tuna]

Eat buffered analgesic.  (Name that game without Googling it for +50 Big E points.)

I'm afraid I cannot cash in my Big E points on that one.

[Big E]

Eat buffered analgesic.  (Name that game without Googling it for +50 Big E points.)

I'm afraid I cannot cash in my Big E points on that one.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

[nebugeater]

As long as that first floor has street level retail and an Old Market feel, I think it will be a success.  I just hope Sarpy County doesn't build an airport first.  

 
Sarpy Co already has an Airport so better watch out....  In fact it may be more vital to the metro area than the one in Omaha  :;):


Offutt Air Force Base (Offutt AFB) is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command, the Air Force Weather Agency, and the 55th Wing. Its legacy includes the construction of the first two bombers to drop atomic bombs and nearly 30 years as the aerial command center for the U.S. in case of nuclear war during the Cold War.

[Big E]

Its legacy includes the construction of the first two bombers to drop atomic bombs and nearly 30 years as the aerial command center for the U.S. in case of nuclear war during the Cold War.

It was also "undisclosed location near Omaha" on 9/11.

[almighty_tuna]

Eat buffered analgesic.  (Name that game without Googling it for +50 Big E points.)

I'm afraid I cannot cash in my Big E points on that one.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Wow, I haven't read that series in 10yrs!  Good stuff though

[GetUrban]

I just hope Sarpy County doesn't build an airport first.  

If Sarpy does....it will be small and have a grassy berm with a picnic area and other family-friendly activities, so people will have other things to do besides catch planes. And it will have free parking.

[Big E]

I just hope Sarpy County doesn't build an airport first.  

If Sarpy does....it will be small and have a grassy berm with a picnic area and other family-friendly activities, so people will have other things to do besides catch planes. And it will have free parking.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

 Yes, separating arrivals and departures by floor makes sense, and most of the larger airports do it, but Omaha isn't a larger airport, and never will be.

I hate when the word "never" is used to describe the possibility of certain projects. To say Omaha will "never" need a larger airport is to assume that the city will some day completely stop growing at a point conveniently close to but below the mark where we would need to expand our airport. If you know of plans to build a Kansas City-Omaha-Des Moines super regional international airport connected to the cities by high speed rail, then by all means we should then never expect Eppley to expand, but if not I am sure there will come a point where we will need a few more gates at Eppley.