Gulf Shores Airport Building Terminal to Land Passenger Service

AL – Gulf Shores International Airport-Jack Edwards Field (JKA) in Gulf Shores, Alabama, has signed a contract to build and manage a new passenger terminal. The terminal will be a temporary facility built and managed by TBI/VINCI Airports, operator of more than 50 airports in 11 countries around the world with expertise in planning, construction, management, marketing, and passenger services development. Construction of the temporary terminal is expected to be completed by spring of 2023 at a cost of $3.7 million, will have two gates and 12,000 SF, and can be repurposed into an international terminal and/or a customs facility when the larger, permanent terminal is built. The timeline for building the permanent terminal depends on two milestones: when annual enplanements reach 75,000 the design/review process will begin, and construction will start with 125,000 annual enplanements.

Originally named Canal Field when first established in 1942 to support the training of Naval Aviators during World War II, the airport was renamed Jack Edwards Airport in honor of Congressman Jack Edwards, who played a pivotal role in getting the airport transferred from the federal government to the State of Alabama in 1977. Airport Director Scott Fuller took over in 2013 with an agenda of airport growth and bringing in passenger service. After several years of planning the terminal and negotiating with airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration approved construction of an air traffic control tower. In addition, the airport was rebranded in 2021 and with upwards of 8 million visitors per year to Alabama’s Gulf Coast, passenger service is in sight. Two airlines have signed letters of intent, but nothing has been announced yet.