Burbank airport's new $1.3-billion terminal opens bigger and sleeker than ever

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Set us as preferred After 33 months of construction and $1.3 billion in spending, the Hollywood Burbank Airport’s new terminal opened on Tuesday morning, with a medley of arrivals and departures in the minutes after 7 a.m.Instead of the snug, historic facility whose Spanish Colonial Revival style dated to 1930, travelers found themselves in a sleek terminal at Winona Avenue and Hollywood Way, distinguished by high ceilings, contemporary art, twinkling terrazzo floors, abundant charging stations and landscaping full of cactus and succulents, along with a few “wet paint” signs.Passengers gawked at mirrored grid artwork by Glenn Kaino overhead.“It was weird,” said Tanya Radke, 25, of Van Nuys, who was headed to Kansas City and caught off-guard by the terminal switch.

“It was not what I thought was going to happen today for me.”But looking around, the passenger called the new space a big upgrade.“It reminds me a lot of the Kansas City airport,” Radke said.

“It was well overdue.”The day’s schedule called for about 90 departures and arrivals by eight airlines, roughly the same schedule as in the previous buildings.The new terminal also has the same two runways and same number of gates — 14 — as the airport’s previous two-terminal alignment.

And passengers still often board planes from the front and back, using outdoor steps from the tarmac, rather than enclosed tunnels.That practice is something travelers have long praised for its informality and efficiency.

But the new building does bring many changes.It measures about 50% larger than the two old terminals combined — about 355,000 square feet — with higher ceilings and a pair of illuminated steel sculptures by Cliff Garten flanking the main entrance.The first departure was Alaska Flight 3401 to Santa Rosa at 7:03 a.m.

with 33 passengers aboard....