The B Concourse at Memphis International Airport will be closed for construction starting on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 due to an extensive concourse modernization project which is not expected to be completed until the year 2021 — resulting in airlines, restaurants, and retail businesses to operate out of A Concourse and C Concourse during that period of time.
Travel Alert: B Concourse Closed for Construction Until 2021 at Memphis International Airport
“The multi-year, multi-phase modernization plan will include the addition of wider corridors, moving walkways, larger boarding areas, higher ceilings and increased natural lighting. Additional amenities and concessions options will also be added”, according to this official press release. “The modernization project will allow MEM to perform much needed seismic upgrades to the B Concourse.”
The end result will be a transformation of a concourse which is 55 years old to a significantly more modern facility — at a cost of $214 million.
The international arrival gates at B41, B42 and B43 — as well as the United States Customs office — will remain in operation in B Concourse. Passengers will be bused to the baggage area after going through customs.
Security checkpoints will remain at B Concourse and C Concourse. B Concourse is the largest security checkpoint and has a lane for members of TSA Pre✓.
Two airlines will be affected by the concourse modernization project; so if you are traveling to, from or through Memphis International Airport as a passenger of either of those airlines, you will need to know that:
- Delta Air Lines will begin operations in the A Concourse on Wednesday, April 4, 2018; and the airline will use six gates on A Concourse: A17, A19, A21, A23, A25 and 27 — ticketing and baggage will continue in B Concourse
- Allegiant Air will begin operations in the C Concourse on Thursday, April 5, 2018 and will use gates C2 and C4 — ticketing will continue in A Concourse and baggage will continue in B Concourse
Summary
I used to travel through B Concourse Memphis International Airport on occasion and could not help but notice how dated it appeared. B Concourse needed an overhaul, in my opinion.
Memphis International Airport was once one of the major hub airports of Northwest Airlines; and it continued to be a hub airport for Delta Air Lines after it acquired Northwest Airlines in October of 2008 — and not even three years later, Delta Air Lines announced plans to cut traffic to the airport by 25 percent. Memphis International Airport eventually lost its designation as a hub airport for any commercial passenger airline — although it has thrived as the hub airport and home base for the operations of FedEx.
You can learn more about the modernization project or take a virtual tour — but be prepared for experiencing minor to major inconveniences if you plan on traveling to, from or through Memphis International Airport over the next three years.
Source: Memphis International Airport.
