San Diego International Airport opens first phase of new Terminal 1
San Diego International Airport opened (23-Sep-2025) its new Terminal 1, featuring 1.2 million sqft of space, a SITA common-use passenger processing system (CUPPS) and US Exit biometric face pods at select gates. The project was led by Gensler, with the facility launching with 19 gates, 17 new concessions, 23 modern restrooms, 13 security lanes and seven baggage carousels. The airport plans to open phase two of the facility in 1Q2028, which will add another 11 gates. The project aims to secure Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design v4 Silver certification, operating on 100% carbon-free electricity and projected to reduce total energy use by 20%. [more - original PR] [more - original PR - II]
Background ✨
The airport planned to close and demolish the existing Terminal 1 on 22-Sep-2025, with construction of phase 1B for the new terminal on the same site. The second phase of the new terminal was set to add 11 gates and additional passenger amenities, including customer lounges and infrastructure upgrades1. The expanded parking plaza near the terminals offered more than 5200 spaces as of Aug-20252.