Sonoma County airport expects to finish expanded passenger gate area in August

Expansion work is speeding ahead at Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport, with crews expecting to complete construction in August of an enlarged passenger tent nearly doubling space in the gate area, and making way for a large terminal overhaul that will greet visitors once the close of the coronavirus pandemic permits more air travel.

The $4 million project also includes new permanent bathrooms beyond the terminal at the airport and relocation of the security checkpoint. A second passenger screening lane will be added as well to meet what had been an increasing number of travelers through the regional air hub before the arrival of COVID-19 in March.

The current passenger tent area covers 4,200 square feet and provides seating for more than 160 people, and the expansion will boost that total to as many as 300 seats. However, the airport for now will hold off adding more seats to offer social distancing to prevent spread of the virus among those who have chosen to continue flying.

Monthly passenger counts continue to show just a fraction of the number of travelers through Santa Rosa in a typical year are still booking flights. June’s total surpassed 7,800 people, or more than double that of May, but is less than a fifth of total passengers compared to the same time last year, according to airport data.

Initial counts for the first two weeks of July show yet another upswing, said Sonoma County Airport Manager Jon Stout, but those totals are projected to tail off as a result of recent spikes of coronavirus infections across the county and state. The airport’s commercial air carriers are likely to cancel flights daily to match diminished demand, he said.

“Slow is better, and we’re fine with slow,” Stout said. “We anticipate daily cancellations like they were doing in April and May. So far, we’ve not seen much of that, but that doesn’t mean that won’t change quickly.”

The three airlines that operate service through Santa Rosa — Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines — each have indefinitely suspended several flights to account for a floundering global air travel industry. The peak of 19 flights per day expected at the local air hub has fluctuated since the spring, and currently tops out at half that number depending on the day.

Still, the airport remains open, with county and state public health restrictions emphasizing essential travel only. To help accommodate that, airport staff has been doing enhanced cleaning and sanitizing of high-touch areas since March, when the county’s original stay-at-home order took effect. And free face masks are provided to travelers who arrive at the airport without one.

Once the tent expansion is finished, and the second passenger security line opened in September, the airport is poised to start work on a $30.5 million renovation of its terminal. The 30,000-square-foot overhaul of the 1960s-era main building will relocate the baggage claim area, add four ticketing counters, and move all of the airlines into the lobby and relocate the rental car counters elsewhere. The additional space also will for the first time offer a new full-service restaurant beyond security.

The county is taking advantage of nearly $24 million in a federal grant to cover the cost of the project, which will more than triple the airport’s existing entry. Including a $800,000 contingency, the total cost of the project is $31.3 million, Stout said.

“We’re so grateful to have federal funding to help us with this, because there’s no way we could afford a major terminal expansion, especially now,” said Susan Gorin, chair of the county Board of Supervisors. “We need a new terminal. We need a better front door for Sonoma County and Santa Rosa.”

The terminal expansion is slated to come before the county supervisors on Sept. 1. If approved, construction is expected to get underway in October and take 22 months to finish, and be ready for travelers in summer 2022, Stout said.

You can reach Staff Writer Kevin Fixler at 707-521-5336 or kevin.fixler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @kfixler.