Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport plans major terminal and roadway upgrades after high 2025 traffic

A multi-year construction program moves from planning into visible work

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is preparing for additional facility expansion after sustained passenger growth and heavy travel demand through 2025, as the Louisville Regional Airport Authority advances a slate of terminal, landside and infrastructure projects under the SDF Next capital program.

The airport’s primary passenger terminal, the Jerry E. Abramson Terminal, is organized around a single centralized security checkpoint serving Concourses A and B. That configuration has increasingly been tested by demand spikes and strong annual totals, pushing the airport to prioritize capacity and passenger-flow improvements that can be delivered while the terminal remains open.

Security checkpoint expansion is the centerpiece, with completion targeted for late 2026

Construction is underway on a $45 million expansion of the security checkpoint, adding a 30,000-square-foot addition on the west side of the terminal. The project is designed to accommodate up to 10 screening lanes and is intended to increase overall screening capacity by more than 60% compared with the current configuration. The airport’s published project schedule lists the completion timeframe as late 2026.

The checkpoint project is paired with other operational changes inside the terminal to manage passenger circulation during construction, including permanent closures and re-routing in areas adjacent to the existing checkpoint footprint until the new facility opens.

Additional terminal projects are sequenced through 2027

Beyond security, the airport has scheduled multiple customer-facing upgrades beginning in 2025 and extending into 2027. Planned work includes refreshed post-security areas in Concourses A and B with upgrades such as improved lighting, signage, gate-area enhancements, added charging capacity, and new airline podium stations. The current schedule places the start of that work in fall 2025, with completion projected for summer 2027.

A renovation of the west exterior vestibule in baggage claim—serving taxi and rideshare access—has also been scheduled to begin in fall 2025 and conclude in summer 2026.

• Security checkpoint expansion: construction began in November 2024; scheduled completion late 2026; $45 million.
• MicroGrid resiliency project: construction began May 2024; scheduled completion fall 2026; $32 million.
• Concourses A and B post-security improvements: planned start fall 2025; scheduled completion summer 2027; $45 million.
• Baggage-claim west vestibule renovation: planned start fall 2025; scheduled completion summer 2026.

International-processing capability remains in the design pipeline

Airport planning also includes a proposed Federal Inspection Services facility that would allow the airport to process arriving international passengers. Design work is underway, and the facility is described as an east-of-terminal build that would include space for U.S. Customs and Border Protection functions and associated passenger processing.

The SDF Next program is structured as a multi-year investment plan spanning terminal upgrades and airfield-related improvements, with a publicly stated total program value exceeding $1 billion.

What happens next

With several projects overlapping between 2025 and 2027, the airport’s near-term operational focus will be maintaining throughput during construction while aligning curbside, checkpoint and post-security changes into a more cohesive passenger journey. Upcoming work identified in the program’s planning materials also includes terminal roadway realignment and ticket counter improvements, which are expected to further shape how travelers access and move through the terminal.