SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — It's been years in the making and finally, the San Diego International Airport invited the public to check out the brand new Terminal 1.
Around 5,000 people had the chance to preview the project, which also created a big traffic jam.
Airplane enthusiast Daniel Ha was one of many in the crowd admiring the improvements.
"I like planes a lot, I'm kind of a nerd," Ha said. "My mom was a flight attendant so just as a kid, always loved traveling, being in airports and everything, so just wanted to come out and see what it was all about before my next flight in November."
Ha isn't the only one excited for the new terminal. It has several design features and familiar restaurants that San Diegans might recognize.
Luigi Diaz is a long-time San Diego resident and said seeing this project come together is great for locals.
"It's a Sunday!" Diaz said. "It's brand new and I was really, really excited to see this because San Diegans have been putting a lot of effort in building something like this, and seeing it come to fruition is just, it's awesome."
Ultimately, officials with the airport said it's providing ample space for people traveling through the terminal.
"In 2024, we had almost 10 million people travel through that airport," said Nicole Hall, the San Diego International Airport's spokesperson. "It was cramped, and it did not offer some of the modern things that many airports offer. So in designing this terminal, we knew we needed to look at the customer experience and offer more space in our hold rooms. More seating, more restaurants."
For Ha, he's excited to see the community enthusiastic for this new opening.
"Just really cool seeing, again, it's surprising seeing the entire community being this excited for this new terminal opening," Ha said. "Again, it's super cool to see everyone come together and take a look at the art, the newest addition to our airport."
The new terminal will launch on the September 22.
