DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines International Airport has two projects underway and travelers can expect to see big changes.

The first project is the construction of the new terminal, which the airport has planned since 2014 when an analysis found that they couldn’t expand their current terminal any further. Their goal of the new terminal is to help keep up with increasing air travel.

Over the last year, they made lots of construction progress. The Executive Director of the Des Moines International Airport, Kevin Foley, said they just completed the first phase of construction and have two more phases to undergo.

He’s expecting the construction of the new terminal to be completed by late summer/early fall in 2026, and it will be ready for travelers in early 2027.

The new terminal will change the current airport design, as seen in the rendering below:

In the current airport, the building where travelers check in and head to the security checkpoints is located where the graphic depicts number 13, and the baggage claim is located where the graphic shows number 10.

The current building where travelers check in and go to security checkpoints will be torn down as the new terminal will replace this area. Instead, the space will be turned into a roadway. The area currently used for baggage claim will be turned into an administration building for airport staff.

The entrance to the new terminal will be located at number 7 on the graphic, and that’s where travelers will check in, head to security checkpoints, and claim their baggage.

There will also be new gates created in addition to their existing 14 gates, which will bring more flights in and out of the Capital City.

Last month, the airport announced that it received an additional $3.6 million in federal funding for the project. The original plan was to add six new gates, but with the new funding, Foley says they’re hoping to add up to nine new gates.

The older gates will be repainted and will get a new carpet and roof. Foley said this will be done within the next calendar year.

In addition to the construction of the new terminal, the airport is also expanding its parking garage. Foley said this is particularly needed during spring break travel because that’s when they see the heaviest demand for covered parking.

The extension will add 1,100 additional parking spots that are projected to be available by March of 2025.