Guilford County’s Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTIA) took a big hit in passenger traffic over the last three-plus years due to the pandemic and the restrictions.
However, airport administrators and staff have been using that time to upgrade many sections and services of the airport so that returning passengers will notice a much better facility as they start to fly again.
In recent years, the airport has updated – or constructed new – parking areas, terminal facilities, runways and passenger areas, all while continuing work on a giant aviation megasite that’s proving to be every bit as successful as economic development officials and others had hoped.
The airport’s August 2023 newsletter points out some of the changes that have been going on at PTIA – some that passengers will notice and some they might not.
The newsletter also highlights some of the improvements being made right now.
For one, new central escalators have been delivered to PTIA and are being installed.
With all the renovation projects, airport work crews are staggering the schedule so that travelers aren’t greatly inconvenienced. For examples, work is being limited to non-adjacent passenger areas so people won’t have to take too many extra steps to get where they need to go.
Some passengers will notice that there’s now brand new carpet under their feet. The installation of new carpet at PTIA is nearly complete. The final floor sections at PTIA to be carpeted are those at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, and those spots should be finished in early August.
Passengers may find themselves a little more comfortable in the airport terminal on these hot summer days. A new cooling system at PTIA is in place and functional – though airport workers are still calibrating the cooling tower and tweaking it to work as well as possible.
A rental car area improvement project at the airport is now “nearing substantial completion,” though supply chain issues are holding up some of that work for the time being.
Also, a rental car lot clearing project is near completion, though some erosion control measures are still being addressed by continuing work.
In another perhaps less noticeable but important change, a key runway renovation project is all but done. Runway 5R-23L is now open at full length after renovations. Some of the navigational aids on that runway aren’t yet up and running, however, since the FAA hasn’t flight-checked those systems.
We ate out at two locations here this week. We went with others, who chose the locations. The cost of the meals was stunning, the food was poor, and the portions were small. There are good restaurants in Greensboro, but not as many as you might think.
I know it is tough for small business everywhere, the biggest problem is staff. But restaurants can serve good food, people will find those.
We went to one of those bread places that specializes in breakfast and lunch, soup and san. The two of us had two processed chicken sandwiches with a hint of mayo, lettuce, and whisper of tomato; along with one dinky bowl of soup, and one drink = $35.00. Not again, ever.
Decades ago the state decided to create a Global TransPark which would become a center for transportation and logistics. I remember being excited because Greensboro – the Gate City – was the obvious location. We even had a brand new and under-utilized airport that had plenty of room to expand.
They chose some cow patch backwater in the East of the state and the “Global Transpark” sank without trace. But it cost billions.
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That’s the Parasitic Sector at work.