Salt Lake City Airport has finally unveiled Phase 2. Here’s everything you need to know

A newly opened area of Concourse A is pictured at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023.13 new gates, along with new concessions, are now open.
A newly opened area of Concourse A is pictured at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023.13 new gates, along with new concessions, are now open. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

After three years of construction, Salt Lake City International Airport is one step closer to being completed.

Airport officials Tuesday morning unveiled 13 Delta gates and 12 new restaurants, according to an announcement posted on social media. This marks the completion of Phase 2 of the airport’s construction, which began with five new gates in Concourse A opened in May.

Related

According to a press release from the airport, an early-morning ceremony marked the occasion, and a flight to Atlanta at 6:44 a.m. became the first to depart from the completed section of the airport.

“These new gates and amenities will further elevate the guest experience at the Salt Lake City International Airport for Salt Lakers and visitors from all over the world,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said, per the release. “Salt Lake City is proud to be a Delta hub in the West and home to one of the top-performing airports in the world. The completion of Phase 2 will provide efficient services and modern facilities for travelers who are eager for a seamless journey.”

The restaurants unveiled Tuesday include both chain establishments and local businesses, including Burger King, Jimmy John’s, Vessel Kitchen, Blue Iguana and Red Rock Brewery.

Phase 2 continues the artistic theme found throughout the airport. The four new restrooms each contain a wall mural painted by a different local Utah artist, and three hanging “flying machine” sculptures by Utah artist Dennis Smith can be found at the eastern end of the newly completed Concourse A.

What is the plan for SLC airport?

Salt Lake City International Airport has been under construction since Sept. 15, 2020, when the original airport was demolished and Phase 1 of the new airport first opened. Phase 1 included the main terminal and the western half of Concourse A, and was completed later that year with the opening of Concourse B.

With the completion of Phase 2, Concourse A is officially done with construction. Phase 3, which is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in 2024, will include eight additional gates and a tunnel connecting Concourse B to the main terminal.

Construction of the airport is projected to end by 2027 with the completion of Phase 4, which will expand Concourse B.

Bill Wyatt, executive director of the Salt Lake City Department of Airports, expressed his appreciation for those behind the airport’s construction.

“The completion of Phase 2 highlights another remarkable milestone in The New SLC Redevelopment Program,” Wyatt said in the airport’s press release. “Thanks to the dedicated workers who have spent numerous days and nights to ensure these gates and concessions would open today.”

Matthew Reed, Millcreek Coffee Roasters barista, takes an order from Kelli Payne, SkyWest flight attendant, at Millcreek Coffee Roasters, which just opened at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Matthew Reed, Millcreek Coffee Roasters barista, takes an order from Kelli Payne, SkyWest flight attendant, at Millcreek Coffee Roasters, which just opened at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
People move through the newly opened portion of Concourse A at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
People move through the newly opened portion of Concourse A at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Construction continues on Concourse B at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Construction continues on Concourse B at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
People lounge at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
People lounge at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
People move through Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
People move through Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
A Delta sign is pictured at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
A Delta sign is pictured at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
People move through Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
People move through Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
A man checks out the view from a newly opened area of Concourse A at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
A man checks out the view from a newly opened area of Concourse A at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
A plane is parked at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
A plane is parked at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Travelers look at an information board at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Travelers look at an information board at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Rozlind Rindlesbach, 2, tries to help pull luggage off the carouse at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Rozlind Rindlesbach, 2, tries to help pull luggage off the carouse at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Jean Pierre De Rurange plays guitar and sings at Blue Iguana as travelers pass through Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. 13 new gates in Concourse A are now open, along with new concessions such as Blue Iguana. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Jean Pierre De Rurange plays guitar and sings at Blue Iguana as travelers pass through Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. 13 new gates in Concourse A are now open, along with new concessions such as Blue Iguana. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News