The final beam is in place on the last phase of Asheville Regional Airport's $400 million terminal. The airport expects the terminal to be complete in late 2027.
The steel frame of Asheville Regional Airport’s new terminal is finished. The final beam went onto the last phase of the building Friday, a little over a year after that phase began.
The Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority marked the “topping out” with a ceremony Friday morning. Airport staff, authority board members and construction crews signed the beam before it was raised. The details are in the airport’s Oct. 23 news release.
The airport sits near Fletcher, about nine miles south of downtown Asheville. The terminal work is part of AVL Forward, which the airport calls an approximately $400 million project and the largest infrastructure investment in its history.
“Topping out is the moment a building stops being a plan and starts being a place,” said Lew Bleiweis, president and CEO of the airport authority.
Matthew DeCarli, project manager for the builder, Hensel Phelps, called it “a full-circle moment for our team.”
What the last phase builds
Work on the final phase started Oct. 2, 2025. It clears the main entrance, the south end of the old terminal and the old air traffic control tower. In their place, the release lists:
- a new grand lobby
- a south baggage claim
- a permanent TSA security checkpoint
- a new south concourse
- administrative offices
When it is done, the terminal will have 12 gates, five to the south and seven to the north, according to the airport’s AVL Forward page. Not every gate has a boarding bridge yet. The airport says all of them will have new jet bridges by the end of the project.
What is already open
Travelers have been using parts of the new building for more than a year. According to the airport:
- June 2025: the North Concourse, the north ticketing area and a temporary TSA checkpoint opened, along with a new system for screening checked bags.
- April 2026: part of the new baggage claim opened.
- May 2026: the new rental car facility opened, and the new air traffic control tower began operating.
When it will be finished
The airport broke ground Aug. 11, 2023. Its AVL Forward page says the terminal is expected to be complete in late 2027, with the rest of the expanded baggage claim due in summer 2027. The airport says some finishing work will continue after the terminal opens.
The page says the project is paid for with government bonds, federal and state grants and airport operating funds. The airport says no tax dollars go to its capital projects or operations.
The airport served more than 2.24 million passengers in 2025, the release said. Five airlines fly nonstop to 26 destinations.
What it means for you
- Construction runs into late 2027. The old main entrance and the south end of the old terminal are part of the work zone, so check the airport’s AVL Forward page before you fly.
- Security is still temporary. The permanent TSA checkpoint is part of the phase now under construction.
- Getting there: our getting around Asheville page covers the ART bus route to the airport and other ways to get there.
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