American Airlines is the dominant carrier at my home airport of Miami International Airport (MIA), and arguably Miami is by far American’s strongest coastal hub. Well, the airline and the airport authority have just announced plans to invest $1.1 billion in the airport, including a significant expansion to the existing terminal space (this is part of the airport’s overall $12 billion modernization).
In this post:
American plans Miami Airport Concourse D expansion
American Airlines and Miami-Dade County have just unveiled expansion plans for a reimagined Concourse D at the airport, in what’s being called the North Terminal West Extension. This project centers around gate D60, which is where a majority of American Eagle flights at the airport depart from.
If you’ve ever been to gate D60, you probably know what a mess it is. It’s at the very end of the concourse, and then there’s a tiny gate area, with well over a dozen individual boarding ramps you can walk up to via partially covered (but outdoor) walkways.
This project is supposed to break ground in the summer of 2027, and will be completed in the summer of 2030 (at least that’s the plan as of now). With this, we’ll see a proper new concourse expansion designed. The new three-level Concourse D extension will create 17 new aircraft gates to accommodate larger aircraft and eliminate outdoor boarding.
The project will expand a single shared boarding area to include adjoining boarding spaces for every gate, to improve flow and provide customers with more space and comfort. This project also offers future capabilities to accommodate international arrivals and direct third-floor access to the airport’s customs hall. The new concourse will feature bright, expansive spaces, with indoor palm trees, as well as new dining and shopping options.
However, the design hasn’t yet been finalized, so the official design is expected to be revealed this summer. The new terminal space will feature an additional 30,000 square feet of concessions, plus an additional 30,000 square feet of lounge space. However, below are the first renderings of what the new facility could look like.
American currently operates around 400 departures per day from Miami, and this summer, the airline will fly from the airport to 155 destinations across 45 countries. American accounts for more than 60% of traffic at the airport. American has announced other investments in the airport in recent times, including plans to open a new Flagship Lounge (though details remain limited).
Here’s how American CEO Robert Isom describes this:
“Miami is an important hub and gateway for American, and it’s an essential part of our history and our future. The brand new, re imagined D60 is a transformational project that will provide a much-improved experience for our customers and our team. This investment — alongside new premium lounges and new routes — reflects our shared commitment with Miami-Dade County and the airport to deliver a consistent, elevated customer experience.”
This is great news for Miami flyers… eventually!
The current gate D60 setup at Miami Airport leaves a lot to be desired, so I’m very happy to see that there are plans to invest in this portion of the terminal. While the total number of gates will remain roughly the same, the idea is that they’ll go from one shared gate area with a huge number of ramps, to 17 individual gates with jet bridges.
Of course the challenge is that any long term gain comes with short term suffering. It remains to be seen what exactly Miami Airport’s plan is while work is performed to build the concourse, since presumably this will get in the way of standard operations at gate D60.
Miami Airport has been spending many billions of dollars modernizing, though unfortunately unlike at some other airports in the United States, this isn’t coming with a huge, splashy new terminal. Instead we’re seeing some updates to existing facilities (like broken escalators being fixed), plus slight extensions of existing concourses and terminals.
Bottom line
American Airlines and Miami-Dade County are investing in Concourse D at Miami International Airport, which will include the construction of a new 17-gate concourse expansion. Essentially the space currently taken up by gate D60 will instead be a full indoor concourse expansion, with proper new gates, rather than ramps.
This is a positive change that will be great in the long run, though expect for it to be a bit messy while this work takes place, through the summer of 2030 (at a minimum).
What do you make of Miami Airport’s Concourse D expansion?
Yeah, yeah. I don't put a lot of faith in their promises.
Example: 12 years ago, Scott Kirby said that LAX would be AA's transpacific gateway. Fast forward to now, nearly all Pacific traffic is routed through DFW and most people need to take a bus at LAX to connect from nearly all flights on the west coat thanks to American Eagle + poor facility planning. Transferring to an Alaska Airlines flight? You have to...
Yeah, yeah. I don't put a lot of faith in their promises.
Example: 12 years ago, Scott Kirby said that LAX would be AA's transpacific gateway. Fast forward to now, nearly all Pacific traffic is routed through DFW and most people need to take a bus at LAX to connect from nearly all flights on the west coat thanks to American Eagle + poor facility planning. Transferring to an Alaska Airlines flight? You have to take *2* buses now to connect from the eagles' nest to T4 and then T4 to T6. Hooray!
AA has absolutely trash strategy and trash execution.
They just need to burn that place to the ground. Only in Miami were they able figure out a way to make a train that helps you get around terminal d slower than walking the two miles to your gate
Not an AA fan, but used to spend a lot of time on AA. I have to say that they did a great job with a similar situation at DCA. They had a bus gate that was a mess. It was replaced with an entire new concourse "E" and the first new style admirals club. If MIA turns out as well as DCA, it will be great.
Happy to see something new coming at MIA, but honestly much of the airport needs to be torn down and rebuilt like they did at JFK. Even the "newest" area aka D concourse is not great...
I transited thru D60 last month. Except for the warm weather, it reminded me of a trip in late December 1985 where I had a four hour sit at EWR. The memory of that chaos still haunts me and MIA D60 is a close second.
Long time reader, first time commenter.
Comment section passes the vibe check.
Obviously the end of the H concourse is totally fine and doesn’t need to be fixed. The absolute worst.
I know Mayor Cava was out there at MIA at 2am some nights repairing escalators herself!
I hope they never change the wonderful Concourse G - it's a monument to flying during the 1980s!
To be cost efficient, the terminal will not have departure monitors installed. Instead, AA will provide Wi-Fi so you will be able to use your tablet to check for your flight's departure time and gate.
There will be cell phone charging stations, but please remember that these are reserved for the flight attendants to ensure they can be used throughout their next flight.
As a Floridian I am excited that MIA/AA are moving to improve the experience. While I do not travel through MIA as much as I used to, it is nice that the airport is (finally) approaching the comfort and ease that is MCO, JAX and def TPA.
Connecting through MIA has never been a great experience.
MIA needs to do something immediately about the worst baggage arrival system, especiallyat AA. Takes ages for bags to arrive and the area is of a low standard.
wow so many new flights to El Paso
IMHO, MIA is one of the top ten worst US airports. This will help a bit, but probably too little too late.
D60 was poorly designed and antiquated when it opened in Q4 2010, largely due to poor planning and the APA scope clause at AMR dramatically limiting the company's ability to operate RJs >50 seats to certain Executive ATRs and MQ CRJ-700s with 70Y seats. Suffice to say, it was not designed or intended to support multiple ERJ-175s simultaneously. While this will be an improvement it comes at a staggering cost when you consider the original...
D60 was poorly designed and antiquated when it opened in Q4 2010, largely due to poor planning and the APA scope clause at AMR dramatically limiting the company's ability to operate RJs >50 seats to certain Executive ATRs and MQ CRJ-700s with 70Y seats. Suffice to say, it was not designed or intended to support multiple ERJ-175s simultaneously. While this will be an improvement it comes at a staggering cost when you consider the original North Terminal Complex completed in mid-2011 was approximately a $1 billion project.
Geeze thanks for reminding me of the ATRs they used to have. Had to fly to Savannah in one on those. Very unique times. OR when Concourse E had some hideous carpet all over
While I don't expect the 2030 goal will be met, I certainly hope this isn't as disastrously delayed as the original North Terminal overhaul that started in the late-90s and stretched into the 2010s.
Also seems like a missed opportunity to extend the Skytrain if the renderings are to be believed. Would it kill them to install some moving walkways??
Wouldn't surprise me to see the lounge space become a 3rd Admirals Club, but it...
While I don't expect the 2030 goal will be met, I certainly hope this isn't as disastrously delayed as the original North Terminal overhaul that started in the late-90s and stretched into the 2010s.
Also seems like a missed opportunity to extend the Skytrain if the renderings are to be believed. Would it kill them to install some moving walkways??
Wouldn't surprise me to see the lounge space become a 3rd Admirals Club, but it would be interesting if some 3rd party gets in there instead. But the location is pretty remote for the vast majority of D gates, so I don't think a credit card lounge is likely.
"completed in the summer of 2030" - that is assuming American will be in business in summer of 2030.
You really think AA is in that much trouble? They have 9 billion in liquidity and have positive cash flow. I think they’re fine but they have work to do.
I'm curious how many "net new" gates this will add? Having more mainline will be nice though. Long overdue.
Let's hope that they do better no than when they constructed the current Terminal D; a design that is incredibly elongated while also offering a breathtaking lack of people movers/escalators/anything else to shorten a 2 mile hike between gates. Add to this, the world's most hostile and nasty airport employees abd you have quite a package there in Miami.
As an aside, MIA was the final straw that had me jump from Plat on...
Let's hope that they do better no than when they constructed the current Terminal D; a design that is incredibly elongated while also offering a breathtaking lack of people movers/escalators/anything else to shorten a 2 mile hike between gates. Add to this, the world's most hostile and nasty airport employees abd you have quite a package there in Miami.
As an aside, MIA was the final straw that had me jump from Plat on AA to Gold on UA. Because traveling to Latin America was 100 times more pleasant when connecting through IAH than through MIA. I don't see the addition of a few gates doing much to change this, but who knows?
This is great. I don't get enough steps in when I arrive from the Carribean and have to walk 2 miles to immigration and then 2 miles to my next flight. If only I could do 3 miles each way...
Exactly this. They better extend the tram system to these gates. As it is, after walking to immigration on arrival I always feel like I should be in Tampa!
Tough news for Tim Dunn!
not sure why.
DL's ATL hub is the 2nd largest US gateway to Latin America behind AA at MIA; this doesn't change that ranking.
Data just never is your friend, tim
Yes. Simple knowledge of Latin America would easily change that ranking
1. Look up where Latin America is and which countries are in it
2. No… delta at ATL is #4 to Latin America behind UA at Iah and AA at DFW and mia if you exclude Caribbean. Delta is actually embarrassingly small vs the other 3 on this metric excluding Caribbean
If you include the Caribbean, delta...
Data just never is your friend, tim
Yes. Simple knowledge of Latin America would easily change that ranking
1. Look up where Latin America is and which countries are in it
2. No… delta at ATL is #4 to Latin America behind UA at Iah and AA at DFW and mia if you exclude Caribbean. Delta is actually embarrassingly small vs the other 3 on this metric excluding Caribbean
If you include the Caribbean, delta at ATL is #4 in flights behind mia, iah, and dfw and #3 in seats to the region behind Mia and iah
Facts are tough things. Try looking for data outside your delta bubble ;)
Thanks Max, appreciate you correcting this fool. Tim is, quite unfortunately, suffering from, yet again, a very, very bad case of compulsive liarship. Unfortunate!
more data picking.
Yes, Delta from Atlanta to Latin America- which most certainly includes the Caribbean - is #2 in ASMs.
You love to tout ASMs except when it doesn't apply
UA's enormous numbers of RJs from IAH to Mexico don't move the needle in ASMs to Latin America.
UA doesn't even fly to SCL on a year round basis. DL uses widebodies on flights to northern tier S. America that AA and UA only...
more data picking.
Yes, Delta from Atlanta to Latin America- which most certainly includes the Caribbean - is #2 in ASMs.
You love to tout ASMs except when it doesn't apply
UA's enormous numbers of RJs from IAH to Mexico don't move the needle in ASMs to Latin America.
UA doesn't even fly to SCL on a year round basis. DL uses widebodies on flights to northern tier S. America that AA and UA only serve with narrowbodies.
Facts aren't YOUR friend unless you spin and manipulate them.
Coming from anyone (else), "more data picking. [sic]" is a heady accusation. From Dim Tune, more ODD lashing out. Grab the popcorn...
I use ASM/Capacity when it's appropriate, when we're talking about the largest gateways to Latin America? No. It isn't.
Is Delta moving the 2nd most passengers to Latin America? no. They are not.
Is Delta taking off to Latin America the 2nd most number of times? No. They are not.
ASMs have their place, but not in this instance.
It's also adorable that you had to wait 4 hours for one of...
I use ASM/Capacity when it's appropriate, when we're talking about the largest gateways to Latin America? No. It isn't.
Is Delta moving the 2nd most passengers to Latin America? no. They are not.
Is Delta taking off to Latin America the 2nd most number of times? No. They are not.
ASMs have their place, but not in this instance.
It's also adorable that you had to wait 4 hours for one of your friends that actually has data to reply in any coherent manner ;) You're so predictable in how little you actually know
But no, by any rational imagination, Delta in ATL isn't #2 moving people to Latin America or sending the most planes to Latin America.
What you likely meant to say is that Delta in ATL is the #2 gateway to South America from the US but as usual... you rely on things you hear others say without any data whatsoever vs actually using facts and data. It isn't tough, Tim. Just use data and facts before you spout nonsense per your norm.
Perhaps lay off the MAGA, Tim, and you'll learn the difference between Latin America and South America.
yea, they fly those old wide bodies that dont impress anyone...
Sigh…
If you found a bunch of crackheads and had them design and build an airport to support their crack addiction you'd get the Miami airport. Nothing about the airport is flyer friendly. From the never working walkways, the jaunt to rental car/Metro and the total cluster of trying to find your Uber in a sea of chaos.
I guess anything would be an improvement. Hopefully, they get people that actually know something about designing an efficient airport.
LOL! I knew you’d get a kick outta this!
Sounds like this is where they will move the new flagship lounge to, and convert the old space to the larger admirals space
Not a chance. 17 gates at this end doesn't leave room for widebody parking (and the renderings only show 737/A320-sized planes) which is the type of plane a Flagship Lounge would serve. If you click through to Ben's linked article on the new lounge, he speculates that it will be placed near D21. That's the main part of the concourse that holds widebody planes and it makes way more sense to have the FL near...
Not a chance. 17 gates at this end doesn't leave room for widebody parking (and the renderings only show 737/A320-sized planes) which is the type of plane a Flagship Lounge would serve. If you click through to Ben's linked article on the new lounge, he speculates that it will be placed near D21. That's the main part of the concourse that holds widebody planes and it makes way more sense to have the FL near those.
I'd wager the new lounge space will be earmarked for a 3rd Admirals Club.
Hopefully they can have a bullet hole repair facility for their flights returning from Columbia
I never thought of South Carolina as all that dangerous.
Lol whoops
Like most things involving AA, I'm sure it won't be completed anytime soon and won't be anywhere near as nice as the renderings. Let's just hope they keep the rubber electric door opener mat thingys.
This is excellent. @George Romey should be pleased! (Key frequents MIA and often complains about D60, which is often a mess.) Wonder where all the Embraer's will end up instead.
The renderings look nice. Who wants to offer odds on them being recognizable next to the finished product though?
I'm still waiting for the long-awaited DL/LA dominance of MIA that someone on here wouldn't shut up about a few years ago until... well, until it became clear it was all just a bunch of marketing fluff that only one fanboy believed.
Great to see D60 getting redone. Not sure what is more monumental, the 35X redo at DCA or the D60 in MIA.
I'll miss the walk to the E175 in the driving sideways rain at MIA
According to DOT data, Delta has more gates that start with the letter “D” than AA/UA.
funny you mention it because I flew another airline besides Delta recently on a flight that had to wait for a gate and the captain came on and said "we are waiting for traffic to clear for us to get to our gate which is D-X, as in Delta X.
Pretty sure that's why the ATL Plane Train says "D as in David" while sticking to the NATO alphabet for the other concourses.
I’m sure you had to go to the lav with your tism… I can’t believe your beloved Delta blocked your arrival path though. It’s like they don’t know you exist…
Hey Tim,
Haha, I always say D as in dog, can’t go advertising for the competition now can I.
I’ve also blame any go around on Delta not vacating the runway. Just a little fun.
Huh??
1. Completion more likely 2034.
2. Now the walk to the new gates from security will be 2 miles.