Salt Lake City airport sets October celebration for New SLC completion

Salt Lake City Department of Airports will mark the completion of The New SLC Redevelopment Program with a final celebration on Oct. 24, ahead of the last phase opening to the public on Oct. 27. The $5.1 billion project has reshaped Salt Lake City International into the first new hub airport built in the U.S. in the 21st century.

Why it matters: - The New SLC is the first new hub airport built in the U.S. in the 21st century. - The redevelopment finishes a $5.1 billion airport rebuild that adds capacity, new concessions and future-ready space for additional air service. - The final phase brings the airport to 94 aircraft gates, 101 concessions and four hardstand positions.

What happened: - The Salt Lake City Department of Airports plans a final celebration on Saturday, Oct. 24, to mark completion of The New SLC Redevelopment Program. - Phase 4, the last construction phase, opens to the public on Oct. 27. - Four gates opened on July 14, 2026, ahead of the final opening. - The redevelopment program broke ground in July 2014. - Phase 1 opened in September 2020, Phase 2 in October 2023 and Phase 3 in October 2024.

The details: - Phase 4 adds seven gates and six new concessions. - United Airlines will use the new gates for arrivals and departures. - Two of the gates are common-use gates that other airlines serving Salt Lake City can use as needed. - The new concessions opening Oct. 27 are Einstein Bros. Bagels, Moochie’s Cheesesteaks, Monarca, Mr. Charlie’s Chicken Fingers, Swig and &Go SLC. - &Go SLC is a news and convenience retail store. - Artist Gordon Huether’s large-scale installation, “Gateway to the World,” will hang from the ceiling in Concourse B-east. - The piece is a mirror image of “Swallows in Flight” in Concourse B-west, but uses airplane-shaped cutouts instead of birds. - The first level of Concourse B-east is built out for a future hardstand operation with concessions and gate-hold seating. - The space will not be used at first and will activate later as new air service comes online and more gates are needed. - The total cost of The New SLC is $5.1 billion.

Between the lines: - The phased opening shows Salt Lake City International is still matching airport space to demand, rather than turning on every part of the terminal at once. - The hardstand area and common-use gates give the airport flexibility if airline schedules or passenger volumes change. - The final celebration also serves as a marker for a project that took 12 years from groundbreaking to completion.

What's next: - The final seven gates and six concessions open on Oct. 27. - The Oct. 24 celebration will formally close out the redevelopment program. - Concourse B-east space reserved for future hardstand use will be activated when additional air service requires it.

The bottom line: - Salt Lake City International is finishing a decade-plus rebuild with more gates, more concessions and room to grow.