Robert Kennedy, assistant general manager for operations, maintenance and security at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (left), and Mike Owens, president of Hartsfield Warehouse Co. Inc. and past-president of the Atlanta Air Cargo Association, attended an association luncheon June 19 along with multiple past-presidents of the organization.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is preparing for increased international traffic by planning to add gates, open the international terminal and boost cargo capacity, among other projects, according to Robert Kennedy, the airport’s assistant general manager for operations, maintenance and security.

“The airport will see approximately 86.4 million passengers this year, but it was originally built to handle only 55-60 million,” Mr. Kennedy said during a presentation at an Atlanta Air Cargo Association luncheon June 19.

The airport currently handles some 250,000 passengers and 2,700 flight operations per day. But 100 million to 120 million passengers are expected annually in the next several years, so the airport’s physical infrastructure has to expand, he said.

The $6 billion to $7 billion renovation is to include, among other improvements, expanding the main terminal by 150 feet to accommodate more passengers and services, Mr. Kennedy said.

Eventually, all ticketing at Hartsfield-Jackson will be on one end of the airport and baggage will be on the other, he said. The future rental car facility, which will be attached to the main terminal by a train, will eliminate the need for as many buses that currently transport people between the facility and the airport, thus eliminating tons of carbon emissions, he added.

While the airport saw 3 million international passengers in 1996, or 178,000 per day, it now handles more than 300,000 per day and expects 9.2 million international passengers this year, Mr. Kennedy said. As such, Mr. Kennedy said 60 to 70 new gates are to be added by 2012.

Hartsfield-Jackson experienced 20 percent growth in international traffic in 2006 compared to 2005 and anticipates 18 percent growth this year.

Currently, airlines calling on Hartsfield-Jackson have connections to 51 countries, but by the time the international terminal is completed, which will be at least four years, 100 countries will be served, he added.

The schematic design for the international terminal is being completed, and Hartsfield-Jackson expects an estimate for its total cost by October or November, Mr. Kennedy told GlobalAtlanta.

The international terminal, which news sources say could open by 2011, would have 10 to 14 gates. It would have its own entrance, ticketing and parking facilities, as well as a separate baggage claim, eliminating the need for passengers arriving on international flights to re-check their bags after entering the international concourse and before claiming them at the main baggage claim, as they currently must do.

As more international flights are added by Delta Air Lines Inc. and other carriers, cargo facilities will likely also need to expand, Mr. Kennedy said.

A member of the Atlanta Air Cargo Association expressed concern to Mr. Kennedy during the luncheon that the current cargo facilities are already almost insufficient to handle the continually increasing cargo volume coming through the airport.

While 190,000 metric tons of cargo was handled at the airport in 1996, some 300,000 metric tons is expected for 2007.

Mr. Kennedy said Hartsfield-Jackson is working on plans for a fourth cargo building to be built, which could add eight cargo positions in 255,000 square feet of space, but those plans are not definite.

The airport is working, however, to bring the International Air Cargo Association conference to Atlanta in 2012, he said. Hartsfield-Jackson has already hosted, along with United Nations affiliate CIFAL Atlanta, multiple best practice sharing seminars for airport and government officials from around the world and continues to do so, Mr. Kennedy noted.

For such activities and its operational efficiency, Hartsfield-Jackson was awarded as Center of Excellence by the U.N. last year, he added.

The airport is self-sufficient, meaning it is not taxpayer-funded, and operates with the lowest costs of any major U.S. airport, Mr. Kennedy said. Hartsfield-Jackson’s cost per passenger is $2.50, while Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s is $2.60, Miami International Airport’s is $14 and New York’s LaGuardia International Airport is $36.

Hartsfield-Jackson also benefits the Atlanta region, with an economic impact of $23 billion, Mr. Kennedy said. Each additional international flight equates to another $8-10 million in economic impact, he added.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported on May 15 that the airport’s ongoing renovation project will not be enough to meet increased demand at the airport. The agency recently granted Hartsfield-Jackson $1 million to study ways to increase air travel capacity in the region. The grant will not fund the airport’s entire study, but it’s a good start, Mr. Kennedy said.