Continental and city will share costs

Continental Airlines and the City of Houston have reportedly agreed on a plan to share the costs of a huge expansion project for Continental’s Terminal B at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport. The seven-to-10-year project calls for the Terminal B complex to grow from the current 360,000 square feet to 1.7 million, increasing the number of aircraft gates from 40 to as many as 65. Part of the funding will come from a proposed $3 passenger facility fee – something IAH doesn’t currently assess. The city has reportedly agreed to handle construction of replacements for the terminal’s north and south ramps, replacing the parking garage and expanding the moving sidewalk to Terminal A. Continental will handle construction in the South Concourse, home to 30 regional jet gates; and the North Concourse, which will be able to handle 30 to 35 mainline and regional jets. The plan also calls for construction of a new Customs facility.