Holder Construction to manage $950M Nebraska airport expansion plan

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The Eppley Airfield’s terminal in Omaha will almost double in square footage, and will feature more gates, streamlined security and a unified concourse.

A rendering of Omaha's Eppley Airfield. A new, glass-covered entrance and paved road linger out front.

Dive Brief:

Officials for Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, approved a $950 million plan to upgrade the main concourse and terminal at the facility, and tapped Atlanta-based Holder Construction to lead the work, according to the Omaha Airport Authority’s project website.
The project team will expand the main terminal to 646,000 square feet, up from 375,000 square feet, according to a press release shared with Construction Dive. In addition, the building group will create a unified concourse, relocate ticket lobbies, create new international arrival gates, expand gate waiting areas and add more restaurants and retail locations. The new upgrades are in addition to a $65 million renovation of the terminal drop-off area.
The expansion will be funded from airport revenues, federal grants and future airport bonds, according to the project’s website. Officials estimate the project will finish in 2028.

Dive Insight:

The expansion plans come on the heels of the airport’s second-busiest year ever, per the release. In 2023, the airport saw 5 million people make use of its services, higher than pre-pandemic levels of use in 2019.

“Build OMA reflects the needs of today’s travelers while providing the flexibility to continue to grow and expand in the long term. An updated, modern terminal will position Eppley Airfield to support passengers for decades to come,” the airport authority wrote on the project’s website.

For Holder Construction, this is at least the second major project the firm has landed in as many weeks. EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, a Broomfield, Colorado-based data center developer, owner and operator, tapped Holder in January to build the company’s $1.9 billion data center campus in Mesa, Arizona.

Other airports across the country are also expanding, particularly in the South. The Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, and the Nashville International Airport in Tennessee are both upgrading their facilities with plans worth $3.1 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively.