Fresno airport just unveiled $150 million expansion project. See what’s new
Fresno Yosemite International Airport just celebrated a “major milestone” with the opening of its new terminal expansion — the biggest one in its nearly 80-year history.
The completion of Concourse B marks the final phase in the FATForward terminal expansion project, a $150 million facelift that includes an upgraded security checkpoint and new dining options.
The project was aimed at delivering “an enhanced travel experience for passengers flying through FAT,” the airport said in a Dec. 19 news release.
Nearly 2.7 million travelers passed through the airport in 2024, The Fresno Bee previously reported, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth for the airport.
The Fresno airport is one of the the best small airports in the country, and the only one of its kind in California, according to USA Today readers.
Here’s what’s in store for travelers at the newly-revamped airport:
See history of Fresno Yosemite International Airport
Commercial flights started at the Fresno airport, formerly known as Hammer Airfield, in 1948. The U.S. Army Air Force used the site during World War II.
Since then, the airport has undergone several major renovations aimed at expanding and modernizing the space to accommodate business and leisure travel, according to its website.
“In 2002, the second-level concourse was constructed with six passenger jet loading bridges and spacious passenger boarding areas,” the airport said on its website.
The Fresno airport opened a state-of-the-art federal inspection station in 2006 to receive its first international flight from Guadalajara, Mexico, and renovated its terminal in 2008.
The airport remodeled its rental car facility in 2016.
What is FATForward expansion project?
In September 2020, the Fresno airport broke ground on a new four-story parking garage, officially launching the FATForward expansion project.
The parking garage opened in the fall of 2021, The Bee reported at the time.
In April, the Fresno airport unveiled its security checkpoint expansion — aimed at improving the “efficiency of passenger screening with more capacity and capability to operate five passenger screening lanes simultaneously,” Vikkie Calderon, the airport’s public information officer, said at the time.
The expansion added 8,000 square feet to the security checkpoint, shifting passenger queuing from the lobby to within the security checkpoint footprint, Calderon said in an April 23 news release.
The airport also installed “newer carpet throughout, a larger recompose area with contemporary seating and dynamic flight information displays,” the release said, as well as river-themed terazzo flooring and a floor-to-ceiling mural by San Joaquin Valley residents and artists Colleen Mitchell-Veyna and Kesley Gilles.
What’s new at Fresno airport?
On Dec. 18, Fresno Yosemite International Airport officially opened its brand-new concourse, a “first-class facility” that adds approximately 98,000 square feet to its footprint, according to the release.
The new Concourse B has “modernized passenger holdrooms including two swing-gate jet bridges to accommodate both domestic and international flight arrivals,” the airport said.
“A brand-new international arrivals facility triples the current capacity with a lobby area and an outdoor plaza for awaiting friends and family,” airport officials said.
Travelers can soon take advantage of new dining options as well.
Fresno’s Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant is slated to open a location in the shops and restaurants area of the new concourse in early February.
Travelers using Concourse A or Concourse B will move through the same airport terminal for airline check-in and security screening, Calderon said.
“During the day, travelers can expect a mix of domestic airlines operating out of Concourse B,” Calderon said.
At night, international carriers Aeromexico and Volaris will operate out of Concourse B.
The new International Arrivals public lobby area is only accessible to those arriving on an international flight. The nearby outdoor plaza can be accessed day or night, Calderon said.
Travelers also have more public art to admire as they pass through the Fresno airport.
“A curated public art program through a partnership with the Fresno Arts Council shows the diversity and cultural richness of the Central Valley prominently displayed inside and outside throughout the terminal,” the release said.
Will Fresno airport add new flights in 2026?
Fresno Yosemite International Airport offers direct flights to 14 destinations in the United States and Mexico, including Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas and Seattle.
The FATForward expansion project positions the Fresno airport as a “more competitive airport for attracting commercial airlines and opportunities for additional domestic and international air service,” Calderon told The Bee via email. “Additionally, the expansion is designed to include enhancements to accommodate growing passenger volumes, increased flights schedules and larger aircraft in the Fresno market.”
In 2025, the Fresno airport added several new and returning flights to destinations including Portland, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and San Diego, the Fresno Bee previously reported.
“Currently no new airlines have announced service for Fresno” in 2026, Calderon said.
However, she said, the airport’s “existing airline partners continue to increase flight frequencies throughout the year during peak travel periods as well as resume seasonal routes.”
“Airport leadership continually markets Fresno to incumbent airlines as well as new airlines in efforts to expand existing air service or attract new destinations,” Calderon added.
What’s next at Fresno airport?
Now the terminal expansion project has been completed, the Fresno airport will focus on upgrading its primary runway, The Bee previously reported.
The plan is to tear out the existing 9,000-foot asphalt runway and replace it with concrete. In the meantime, planes will use the 8,000-foot secondary runway to the side of the primary one.
The $105 million resurfacing project is expected to take about two years.
“There’s been no major works on the runway for 20 years,” Henry Thompson, then Fresno’s director of aviation, told The Bee in May. “The current runway is at the near of its life and becoming more difficult to maintain with our increased traffic. The runway upgrade is well overdue.”
In January 2027, the Fresno airport plans to start renovating its control tower, The Bee reported. The project is expected to cost roughly $100 million.
After that, the airport will start working on longer-term projects to expand parking, hangars and maintenance facilities.
This story was originally published January 14, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
