Fresno Yosemite International Airport Major

Terminal Expansion Construction Receives Approval

Fresno, CA (February 23, 2023) – Today’s Fresno City Council action to approve a $126,866,863 contract to Q&D Construction for the terminal expansion project at Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) will position the Airport to meet the current and future travel demands of California’s Central Valley. FAT continues to experience strong passenger growth and reached a milestone in 2022 with over 2.1 million travelers served. Upon its completion, the project will build a new concourse providing increased capacity and new amenities to elevate the customer experience.

“Many community benefits will be realized with this expansion as the project supports a local workforce, generates increased economic activity, provides a facility to accommodate growth and air service development with a modern, efficient airport that reflects a progressive and attractive city to live, work and explore,” said City of Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.

This construction program will employ an estimated craft labor workforce of 250 union workers from the Fresno area employed through a Project Labor Agreement (PLA). Local economic impact created by this substantial construction project will generate an estimated $85,000,000 through support services and additional induced and indirect jobs.

“I am proud to have voted for the construction of our airport’s new terminal expansion,” said Council President Tyler Maxwell. “In addition to creating hundreds of good-paying jobs for our Fresno families, this construction will allow us to offer more frequent flights to even more destinations, both domestically and foreign.”

Branded FAT Forward, this historic expansion program will provide a spacious and efficient transportation facility ensuring that FAT offers the best traveler amenities for years to come. A Progressive Design-Build project delivery method allowed for a collaborative approach between the designer, builder, and Airport.  Q&D Construction and CSHQA (architect) functioned as one entity for delivery of the project.

“Today’s construction contract approved by the Fresno City Council for the terminal expansion gets us that much closer to breaking ground on this significant and historic expansion,” said Director of Aviation Henry Thompson. “This expansion will enhance the airport experience while providing increased travel options for the region.”

Highlights of the terminal expansion include:

• New Terminal Concourse B with two dual-use passenger bridges to facilitate domestic and international boarding, larger holdrooms and more areas for shopping and dining.
• Expanded Transportation Security Administration (TSA) passenger screening area that will enhance passenger circulation and reduce wait times.
• New international arrivals facility will triple its current size to accommodate the growing volume of international passengers at FAT and significantly improve the overall passenger experience for international travelers.
• State-of-the-art airline baggage handling systems with added capacity for faster processing.

“It has been our privilege to be part of the FAT Forward Project Team,” said Q&D Construction Vice President Duane Boreham. “The design and pre-construction portion of this project was successful due to the collaborative effort made by all Project Team members. The City of Fresno, Airport staff, local Union partners and subcontractors were integral members of the team during pre-construction. Q&D Construction and our Design Build partner, CSHQA, look forward to working in the same collaborative spirit to deliver a successful construction project to the Fresno community.”

FAT Forward terminal expansion is expected to open to the public in Fall 2025 funded through a combination of Infrastructure Grants, Federal Aviation Administration Grants, Passenger Facility Charges, Measure C, CARES Act, TSA Grant, and Airport Revenue Bonds.

Fresno Yosemite International Airport – Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) is one of the largest drivers in economic activity in the Central San Joaquin Valley with $928 million pre-pandemic of annual economic activity and 10,800 direct, induced and indirect jobs. Domestic and international carriers serving FAT offer Valley travelers daily nonstop flights to Chicago (Seasonal), Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Guadalajara, León, and Morelia in Mexico.

Fresno Yosemite International Airport and Fresno Chandler Executive Airport are municipally owned entities operating as a self-supporting enterprise.

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