MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Miami International Airport will be undergoing some much-needed repairs after years of neglect, and officials said it is all part of an overall investment that will upgrade Miami’s global gateway.
Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and MIA officials said this is a historic moment for the airport due to the unprecedented investments that will be made.
“We’re very excited this morning,” said MIA Director Ralph Cutié.
“The days of disinvestment in MIA are over,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
While it’s not hard to love living in Miami, one issue several people have had over the years is traveling in and out of the city at MIA.
“The experience of the user is horrible, and especially for a city that is renowned for being touristy,” said traveler Loid Nay.
“Elevators don’t work. You’ve got to go to the rental car; chances are that one of the moving [walkways], those are not working,” said another traveler.
In 2023, 52.3 million people went through MIA, which was an 11% growth from the previous year. By 2040, it is projected that 74 million people will travel through the airport.
“It is critical that we keep this global gateway running effectively,” Levine Cava said. “Unfortunately, this powerful economic engine has been at the center of decades of neglected maintenance. But no more.”
The investments going toward the airport will include the following:
- $130 million in a re-roofing project to include solar panels
- $681 million in conveyance modernization, which includes elevators, escalators and moving walkways
- $101 million in bathroom renovations
- A new parking garage that will be done by 2026
- A new on-airport hotel
In total, $1.69 billion will be invested in those deferred maintenance projects.
Skytrain at Miami will also be ready to return to service in the spring, with necessary repairs being done by end of March.
About 75% of the system will be functional.
“The project savings from this project will put us on the map to be one of the most energy-efficient airports in the country,” Levine Cava said.
But when people look around at MIA, the reason why these investments are needed are due to years of deferred maintenance.
Skytrain was shut down due to faulty infrastructure and safety concerns, which is why some elevators in the Flamingo Garage have been out of order.
The real question is, why did these kinds of investment take so long?
“Full replacement. That does take time,” Levine Cava said. “In other words, they could not be repaired. So they were not adequately maintained, they are too old. They – it was kicked to the curb, if you will.”
“Up until the most recent contract, the workers were not allowed to do work on our elevators, escalators and walking [walkways] on evenings and weekends,” said Miami-Dade County Chief Operating Officer Jimmy Morales. “So, the time when the airport was actually slower, they were prohibited from doing work at that time.”
Levine Cava also said it will take some time to bring these investments to fruition.
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