Southwest Airlines Is “Eager” To Begin $25 Million Baggage Claim Area Renovation In St. Louis

One of the larger projects designed to increase Southwest Airlines’ capacity at Lambert Airport is the renovation of the baggage claim area, which is set to cost an estimated $25 million.

Six years in the making

The baggage claim renovation project has been in the works since 2018 and was delayed multiple times, first due to airport privatization efforts and later due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and subsequent associated challenges.

According to airport insiders, the initial plan was to add a third baggage pickup carousel at St. Louis Lambert International Airport’s (STL) Terminal 2, but that has been scrapped. However, the airline will still fund a scaled-down version of the project, which is set to ease baggage congestion and improve the system. This new iteration will cost the airline $25 million.

Speaking to the St. Louis Business Journal, Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge said the St. Louis Airport Commission approved the scaled-down project on Wednesday, December 4th.

The airline will pay for the project in full, and the city of St. Louis, which owns the terminal, will retain ownership of the area and the upgrades that Southwest will pay to facilitate. The changes will result in checked baggage for departing passengers getting to the aircraft more quickly, improving overall efficiency.

Simple Flying has contacted Southwest Airlines for a statement.

Why was the project’s scope changed?

The airline’s initial plan was to spend $60 million to upgrade the entire baggage system, along with new restrooms and a baggage service office. The city would’ve had to sell bonds to fund this project, which the airline would pay off. However, this plan was changed because the new system would only be in operation for a few years until Terminal 2 is phased out.

As part of the airport’s long-term plan, the two terminals will be consolidated into one larger rebuilt terminal. The new terminal still requires final approvals and agreements from the airlines operating at STL. Construction is estimated to begin as soon as 2026 and finish in 2032, six years later.

Hamm-Niebruegge told the airport commission why the carrier chose to cut the project’s scope, saying:

“They just looked at it and said we’re not going to get the value of a system that’s going to be this short-lived.”

Construction on the project is estimated to begin in the middle of next year and will span 18 months.

Many in the airport commission were disappointed that a third baggage carousel would not be added after all, as they’d been waiting for one for roughly six years. Some mulled over what could’ve been if the airline started the project in 2018.

However, in 2018, the airport was considering handing over its operations to a private company, a controversial proposal. In addition, the airline didn’t feel comfortable making an investment over which it would have no control, so it was put off.

Southwest’s presence at STL

Southwest is the largest airline at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. It also operates most of the flights out of terminal two, where the project was set to take place. The airline also has the most traffic in Terminal 2.