Tulsa International Airport Gets Makeover

Tulsa International Airport is getting a makeover.  The second phase of construction started on Wednesday as the airport began on a multi-million dollar renovation.

Workers already have gutted bathrooms, replaced tile and are knocking down walls to add more windows and natural light.

This $30 million renovation will take about eight months to complete.

Tulsa International Airport is being redesigned. It's a makeover that has been decades in the making. Phase One was completed in the south terminal last year and now it's on to Phase Two.

"The airport is really the front door to the city of Tulsa, and we are the last impression that our visitors have when they are here, so we want to make sure that it reflects our community,” TIA's Alexis Higgins said.

The first impression was a dated one, before the major overhaul airlines were responsible for their own seating, and none of it matched.

Crews have replaced one inch tile in bathrooms and gutted the building for a sleek design.

"We definitely went from an archaic design, which may have been great at the time it was installed to a more modern look,” Higgins said.

That modern look comes at a price.

“This project from A to Z all the phases is about $30 million.

But now all seating is uniform, there will be about 800 power sockets in the terminal and power pads on tables to charge phones or tablets. Then there is the bathroom. The tile is larger and easier to clean, and the changes were based on national customer satisfaction surveys.

“The No. 1 thing that determines a passenger satisfaction at an airport, besides the flight, the flights have to be on time -- are restrooms,” Higgins said.

The bathrooms are complete, and a restaurant a gourmet sandwich shop will be done next Friday. But temporary construction walls will go up to form a hallway that passengers will pass through to access the concourse until the big reveal next summer.

The Concourse renovation project was paid for by the facility charges. That's a $4.50 per ticket fee that is added to every departing ticket sold from Tulsa.

The work should be complete by June 2015.

11/5/2014 Related Story: Renovated Concourse Opens At Tulsa International Airport