While uncertainty remains over improvements and schedules at LAX, the county's second-busiest airport is on the verge of big changes.
Hollywood Burbank Airport will replace its two terminals with a new, larger terminal on October 13. The $1.3 billion project will include 14 gates, the same number the airport has now. But the new structure will be a single terminal that will be about 50% larger than the airport's current two-terminal design.
By moving to a 355,000-square-foot terminal, officials say, the airport can provide passengers with more space and better technology, while meeting safety and accessibility standards.
A rendering shows how Hollywood Burbank Airport is designed when its new terminal opens in October.
(Hollywood Burbank Airport)
The airport, built in 1930 and managed by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, is a favorite of many local travelers as a simpler, faster alternative to Los Angeles International Airport. However, the location of Burbank Airport in the San Fernando Valley has often put its leaders at odds with residents of surrounding suburban neighborhoods.
As it stands, the aging Burbank facility does not meet current state seismic standards or Federal Aviation Administration design standards, prompting repeated safety warnings. Its nine resident airlines fly to about 30 destinations nonstop. The airport recorded around 6.2 million arriving and departing passengers in 2025.
Airport officials say the new design increases the distance between the terminal and the nearest runway, currently just 257 feet, which will soon be about 880 feet, bringing the airport into compliance with FAA standards.
Meanwhile, at LAX, which will see 73.7 million passengers in 2025, the opening of the long-awaited SkyLink automated people-mover system — an electric train that connects the terminals to rail service and rental cars — has been delayed by technical and legal issues. In a June 15 report, SkyLink's contractor estimated that its opening to the public would have to wait until October 6 or later. When asked for a revised schedule, an LAX spokesperson did not give dates, saying only that the airport is focused on “extensive testing of all roads, signaling systems and vehicles” to ensure safety and reliability.
A rendering shows what Hollywood Burbank Airport is expected to look like after a new terminal opens in October.
(Hollywood Burbank Airport)
In Burbank, voters approved the airport terminal replacement project in 2016. Construction began in 2024. At the entrance, travelers will find a pair of 16-foot-tall sculptures, “The two Electras by Cliff Garten; Inside, a work of art latticework on the ceiling of Glenn Kaino.
The new space is just north of the existing terminal, which will be demolished. The new entrance will be at Winona Avenue and Hollywood Way. Airport officials say the change will not affect the number of flights or the airport's operating hours, which are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
At the new terminal, airport officials say, the walk from the entrance to the far gate will be 1,285 feetcompared to the current 1,600 feet, with wider aisles and sidewalks and access to device outlets from every seat. Baggage claim carousels will be moved from outside to inside.
A July 7 photo shows work in progress at Hollywood Burbank Airport, where a new terminal is scheduled to open in October.
(Hollywood Burbank Airport)
The airport project, known as Elevate BUR, has been supervised by the project management company Jacobs. The design and construction portion of the project is led by Holder, Pankow, TEC and Joint Venture. Corgan provided architectural services in partnership with CannonDesign.
As it does now, the airport will offer bus service between the new terminal and Burbank Airport South Train Station (which connects to Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner) and Burbank Airport North Station at San Fernando Road and Hollywood Way.
Another thing that won't change: Passengers will continue to walk along the tarmac from the terminal to stairs and planes, rather than using the closed walkways common at other airports, especially larger ones. It's something travelers say they appreciate about the airport.
“The minute I step onto the tarmac in Burbank, I start acting like I'm boarding a private jet,” one Threads user wrote. “And you will never convince me otherwise.”
Some other changes travelers can expect in Burbank:
- The new terminal's 14 foodservice units will tentatively include Flavor Town, Spring Chicken, Farm Table Bistro, Jones Coffee, Perry's Joint, Poquito Mas, West Coast Smash Burger, Diane's Pizzeria, Massis Kebab, Starbucks, Border Grill, Jet Tila's Asian Table, Santa Canela Bakery and a bar with panoramic views of the slopes and the Verdugo Mountains.
The Grand Hall of the soon-to-open terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport awaits finishing touches on July 7.
(Hollywood Burbank Airport)
- A new parking structure next to the new terminal will have 2,007 parking spaces, including 400 valet spaces. (The total number of airport parking spaces will remain the same: 6,637).
- The distance between the new terminal and the airport's existing rental car facility and bus stop (Regional Intermodal Transit Center) will be just under a mile by shuttle bus.
