State-of-the-Art Features; Bird Safe Glazing Usher in New Era at Popular Island Airport

KEY WEST, Fla. (May 21, 2025) — The tiny island of Key West got a huge upgrade this week that will make it easier to visit — and even tougher to leave.  

Local officials in the southernmost city of the continental United States welcomed more than 100 guests to the grand opening of a spacious new terminal at Key West International Airport. And it comes at a perfect time with the airport’s record-breaking passenger counts in recent years. 

Gone are the days of hefting heavy bags on humid hikes across a blistering tarmac and ascending a metal ramp to your plane. The brand new, 48,802-square-foot Concourse A has made the island airport an alluring addition to countless travelers.  

“This is quite a transformation for those of us who have traveled in and out of Key West for years,” County Mayor Jim Scholl told the crowd. “This is a great transition from our old departure area for people to come and have a facility that’s fitting for a world-class destination like the Florida Keys.” 

The new concourse features eight, air-conditioned, glass jet bridges connecting the gates to planes, and towering glass walls made of high-tech, electrochromic panels that can switch between transparent and opaque states and withstand 200mph winds.  

The upgrades have even made air travel easier for birds, as the glass panels feature bird-safe glazing — small dots, two inches apart, are fused to the glass to prevent birds from seeing their reflection and flying into the airport’s glass windows.  

At an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Concourse A on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, county officials from the Florida Keys celebrated the additional concessions, including a Chili’s bar and restaurant, a Starbucks, a Farm2Air grab-and-go market, gift shops, bars and still more to come. There’s also plenty of seating, workspaces for tablets and laptops, charging ports, free Wi-Fi and marble-walled restrooms. 

The next phase of construction will take place on the airport’s ground floor, where a new baggage claim lounge will offer much more space and new carousels. And those improvements can’t come soon enough.  

Key West International Airport has broken its own records year after year, constantly serving more passengers. In the first quarter of this year, it already welcomed more than half a million travelers. This robust boost in passenger traffic made the previous 7,000-square-foot departure area no longer sufficient. 

With American, Delta, United, Jet Blue, Allegiant, Silver and Breeze airlines offering more direct flights to more than 20 cities, including Boston, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia, Key West International (EYW) has seen an 80% increase in available seats since 2019.The $100 million in funding for the airport enhancement project came from $41.34 million in bond proceeds, Florida Department of Transportation grants, FAA grants, PFCs (passenger facility charges), and airport revenues, said EYW communications director Katie Atkins.  

No local tax dollars were used. 

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]