A city panel has cleared the way for more parking spaces at the San Antonio International Airport.
A design plan for a garage that’s expected to relieve existing congestion and headaches for travelers ahead of the debut of an additional new terminal will move forward with approval Wednesday of the city’s Historic and Design Review Commission.
Plans to build the ground transportation center were first announced in August 2024 when the city’s Director of Airports Jesus Saenz told city council that growing demand for car parking at the airport was outstripping supply during peak travel times.
Now airport officials expect to break ground on the planned $125 million parking garage later this year with completion expected just prior to the new terminal’s opening in mid-2028.
The project is one of many in an ongoing $2.5 billion Airport Strategic Plan to improve the airport over two decades.
Parking is one of the airport system’s largest non-airline revenue sources. Combined with concessions and ground leases, parking income in the airport’s fiscal year 2026 budget is estimated to bring in $169.3 million.
A rendering shows the site plan for the Terminal C parking garage at the San Antonio International Airport. Credit: Courtesy / San Antonio International Airport
The estimated cost to build the ground transportation center is $125 million, an expense that will come from the aviation capital funds budget.
The parking facility will bring 2,600 more vehicle spaces to the airport’s existing 10,000 spaces, both in garages and surface lots, according to documents by the San Antonio firm MarmonMok and architect Angel Garcia, working with J.E. Dunn Construction of Austin.
Design plans show a building with steel facade panels, exposed concrete panels and a standing seam metal roof. The main level is for ground transportation services with parking above. The top floor of the facility provides parking, but is to be built to support a future electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) operations area.
The approved demolition of an aircraft hangar will make way for the center.
Plans call for the six-level garage to be built directly across from the departure lanes from the new terminal, which is being built alongside Terminal B.
A rendering shows a nighttime view of the Terminal C parking garage at the San Antonio International Airport. Credit: Courtesy / San Antonio International Airport
Terminal C has been under construction for just over a year giving airport travelers moving through Terminal B a solid birds’ eye view of the project. Visible from the windows of waiting areas are at least three towering construction cranes and crews operating heavy equipment to build 17 new gates for the airport.
That $1.7 billion project remains on time and on budget, according to an airport spokeswoman.
Meanwhile, on the east side of the airport grounds, another major project is nearing completion.
Work to expand Terminal A will wrap up soon bringing a ground load facility to the airport in late March. The first flight is expected shortly after ribbon cutting.
While airlines recently have announced new air service coming this summer, in January, just over 724,600 passengers traveled through the San Antonio airport, 6% fewer than the same month the year before.
Airport officials attribute the January decrease to continued economic uncertainty and disruptive winter weather throughout the U.S.
In 2025, just over 10.7 million total passengers traveled through the airport, representing a decrease of 3.2% compared to 2024, the busiest in airport history with over 11 million passengers that year.