Miami opens new South Terminal project

Miami International Airport has started a phased opening of its new South Terminal, a 1.7 million square-foot project that includes 15 aircraft gates in a newly built Concourse J and 13 in an expanded Concourse H. The initial tenants of the terminal include Delta, Air France and LAN, with additional carriers scheduled to move into the facility through October until the terminal houses a total of 19 airlines. The new terminal also includes three security checkpoints and a large Customs and Immigration inspection station for international arrivals. A number of retail concessions, including shops and restaurants, have yet to open. The South Terminal project was many months behind schedule, but airport executives were anxious to start moving airlines there from the airport’s Concourse A, which is slated to close November 10 in order to facilitate construction of the $2.6 billion North Terminal project. Airport officials said they expect the South Terminal will eventually handle almost a quarter of the airport’s passengers. Meanwhile, in other news, American Airlines said it now offers curbside check-in for passengers traveling on international flights out of Miami International.