BGPAA Commission Selects Design Concept for Replacement Passenger Terminal
The development of the replacement passenger terminal (known as “Elevate BUR”) has marked another major milestone, with Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority (
Below is a list of FAQ’s for the Hollywood Burbank Airport Elevate BUR. Please click a question below for more information.
The proposed project stems from several problems with the existing passenger terminal building. The existing passenger terminal building does not meet current FAA standards related to runway separation and object free areas. It is also obsolete in terms of contemporary passenger terminal design and efficient utilization standards. Further, it does not meet current State building requirements. The purpose of the proposed project is to provide a passenger terminal building that meets all current FAA standards, passenger demand, and building requirements as well as improve utilization and operational efficiency of the passenger terminal building. FAA’s need is defined by the statutory requirement to decide whether to approve the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) developed by the Authority, pursuant to USC § 47107(a)(16).
On November 8, 2016, the voters of Burbank approved an agreement between the City of Burbank and the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority. It gives the Airport Authority the right to build a 14-gate, 355,000-square-foot replacement passenger terminal. In exchange, Burbank receives control over critical decisions about the Airport’s future.
With the passage of Measure B, the Joint Powers Agreement that governs the nine-member Airport Authority Commission has been changed to require a “supermajority” vote (at least two Commissioners from each city) for key decisions regarding Airport expansion and noise impacts. In other words, two of three Burbank Commissioners can block Airport expansion decisions and more, even if outnumbered by the Glendale and Pasadena Commissioners. Approval of Measure B gives Burbank the ability to stop attempts to increase the number of terminal gates; change the voluntary nighttime curfew or the noise rules; change support for federal authorization to implement a mandatory nighttime curfew; allow parking of scheduled commercial airline passenger aircraft other than at the terminal gates; or expand the current terminal or any new terminal.
Commissioners are appointed to the Airport Authority Commission by their respective City Councils. Currently, the Airport Authority Commission is composed of both City Council Members and citizen appointees.
The preferred site is the Adjacent Parcel, the 49-acre B-6 site. The main entrance to the new terminal would move from Thornton at Hollywood Way to Winona at Hollywood Way. Elevate BUR will be more convenient to use compared to the current terminal, but at a safer distance from the runways and with more passenger amenities, less crowding, and more places to eat, shop, and wait in comfort.
The 2012 public opinion survey showed that among the Airport’s most popular attributes are convenience and ease of use. Close-in valet and self-parking, loading of aircraft from the back and front, and convenient access to ground transit, including rail, are just some of the features that may be reproduced or improved in Elevate BUR building. A relocated terminal will provide an even higher level of safety and security; retain the friendly, accessible and easy-to-use attributes of the current terminal; have no more than the current 14 passenger gates; be built without use of local tax dollars; meet current FAA safety standards for distance from the runway; meet today’s earthquake design standards; and provide greater user amenities.
Any new terminal will comply with the most current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations and provide the maximum amount of accessibility, including access up to the door of the aircraft.
The existing terminal has two levels (plus a basement) and a total of 232,000 square feet. Elevate BUR will also have two levels (plus a basement), and will not exceed 355,000 square feet. Elevate BUR will be larger than the current terminal so that the Airport Authority can provide a safer airport terminal with added amenities that are typically found in modern airports:
Airports are funded through fees and charges by the passengers, airlines, and tenants who use the facility. Airport funding sources include FAA grants, parking fees, landing fees, rents from concessionaires and other tenants, passenger facility charges, and federal taxes on every airline ticket sold. State and local taxes are not used. No local City of Burbank funds will be used to pay for Elevate BUR. It is anticipated that the FAA will provide a portion of the overall cost.
No. In 1986, the FAA banned easterly take-offs of all aircraft weighing more than 12,500 pounds due to a number of safety concerns. These concerns included the proximity of aircraft parking and loading within 50 feet of the edge of the runway, as well as the absence of a parallel taxiway on Runway 8-26 (east to west runway). In 2006, the Airport Authority constructed the extension of Taxiway D, which addressed the immediate concerns of the FAA. However, the FAA continues to ban easterly departures on Runway 8-26.
The primary reason for this continued ban on easterly departures is due to so-called “one engine inoperative” flight procedures, which are now required by the FAA for airline operations. In the event a right engine shuts down during take-off, these procedures require a pilot to turn left in order to approach the Airport for an emergency landing. The proximity of the Verdugo Mountains does not provide enough space for this left turn to be made safely and, therefore, the ban on easterly take-offs remains. Other flight conditions contribute to this ban on easterly departures including the presence of an LAX aircraft traffic corridor immediately east of the Airport, prevailing wind patterns, and the short length of Runway 8-26. Demolition of the existing terminal building will not change the one engine inoperative flight procedure.
Additionally, the location, shorter length, and limited navigation procedures of Runway 8-26 as compared to Runway 15-33 will continue to make Runway 15-33 the preferred departure runway.
The public has had and will continue to have numerous opportunities to share their views about the future of the Airport and Elevate BUR, including: more than 30 presentations to the City Councils of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena; public workshops; regional organizations; and key opinion leaders during the concluded environmental review process.
In 2012, the Airport Authority commissioned a public opinion survey, conducted by Goodwin Simon Strategic Research, which included focus groups, telephone interviews of more than 1,000 randomly selected individuals, and an online survey open to the public.
The easiest way is to visit the Airport website. The Airport Authority also webcasts its regular meetings and posts them for replay. The public is also invited to subscribe to the Airport Authority’s monthly e-newsletter, and to follow the Airport on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
The development of the replacement passenger terminal (known as “Elevate BUR”) has marked another major milestone, with Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority (
The public is getting its first glimpse of what the replacement passenger terminal may look like. At today’s Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority (BGPAA) meeting, commissioners were presented with thre...
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