Palm Springs Airport Celebrates Renovation and Another Passenger Record

Palm Springs Airport Sets Another Passenger Record
Celebrates Completion of Ticket Lobby Renovations & New Baggage System
Palm Springs, California – Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) continues its pandemic rebound by
setting another passenger record and celebrates the completion of its ticket lobby renovation and new
state-of-the-art baggage system.
On the heels of even more route announcements, PSP broke another passenger record. Total
Passenger Counts for July reached 129,463, or a 32% increase over the previous record set in July 2019
when 97,834 total passengers utilized the airport. PSP started its return to pre-pandemic levels in May
and has exceeded pre-pandemic numbers throughout the summer. July 2021 passenger numbers are up
283% compared to July 2020, however, 2021 year-to-date passenger numbers are still lagging 2019 by
37%.
“This summer has been one of the busiest we’ve ever had at the airport, and we expect this
rebound to continue with more available flights and ten new routes starting this fall,” said Palm Springs
Mayor Christy Holstege. “With the completion of the ticket lobby renovations and the installation of a new
baggage system, we are improving the airport user experience and accommodating future demand”.
Palm Springs International Airport celebrated the renovation and expansion of its ticket lobby and
installation of a new baggage system with a ribbon-cutting on Monday, August 23. The $36 million project
began in February 2020 and was first identified during the airport’s 2015 master plan update. The
updated master plan outlined several objectives for the airport to accomplish as part of its work to
improve the passenger experience. The Ticket Lobby renovation and expansion portion of the project
reconfigured airline offices allowing the passenger circulation areas to nearly double in size, improved
accessibility for passengers with disabilities, and added additional ticket counters to accommodate the
growing list of airlines that fly to Palm Springs.
The second part of the project reconfigured and replaced the airport’s aging baggage system that
had become prone to breaking down. The new baggage system ensures that the airport can efficiently
and quickly process the growing number of checked bags and improves the reliability of the system
overall.
“The increased processing capability and reliability of the new bag system will help prevent
mishandled baggage and lower the chances of a bag missing a flight,” said Arron Brown, Deputy City
Manager. “This project was important to the City of Palm Springs not only for its enhancement of the
traveler experience but also because of the need to accommodate the growth at Palm Springs
International Airport.”
Another project currently underway is the replacement of all passenger boarding bridges at the
airport. This $7 million project began in June and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.