The first new construction terminal in decades for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is taking an important step toward becoming a reality. This Monday, the Broward County Department of Aviation and the Board of County Commissioners held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of work to build Terminal 5.
T5 is designed as a two-level, five-gate domestic terminal with check-in and ticketing areas, arrival and departure baggage processing, a security checkpoint, and food and beverage outlets. This state-of-the-art facility, valued at $404 million, will connect to Cypress parking and Terminal 4 via multi-level pedestrian walkways.
Preliminary work on the approximately 230,000-square-foot terminal to be erected on the east side of Terminal 4 has begun with site clearing and tree impact mitigation, among other initial phase tasks. The work will take about three years and is expected to be completed in mid-2026. T5 will be built using a variety of funding sources, including airport bonds, Florida Department of Transportation grants and passenger facility fees.
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“The new terminal will help provide the infrastructure needed to power FLL by creating opportunities for new and existing airline partners to grow and help lay the groundwork for future Master Plan expansion activities,” said FLL CEO and Chief Aviation Officer Mark Gale.
According to industry forecasts, the airport will grow from the current 35 million passengers per year to almost 52 million in 20 years. The new terminal will accommodate 4 to 5 million passengers annually.
Development partners
Under a joint agreement between Broward County and JetBlue Airways Corp. the New York-based airline is managing the construction of the airport’s new terminal. The airline also oversaw the Terminal 3 modernization project, where it primarily operates.
“It’s been 23 years since JetBlue’s first flight took off from New York to Fort Lauderdale, and we now carry customers to more than 40 destinations from Fort Lauderdale. We are thrilled to once again support and promote Broward County’s vision as we manage the development of Terminal 5,” said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s president and chief operating officer.
The T5 project will generate some 3,400 direct and indirect construction-related jobs.
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