The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance extending the city’s lease with the Birmingham Airport Authority giving it nine more years to operate Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport and allowing it to issue debt for improvements.
The city originally entered the airport lease in 1986 for 50 years, but extending it until 2045 now enables the airport authority to move ahead with plans to sell $150 million of debt for a planned expansion and renovation project.
The overall project is expected to cost $193 million and includes renovating the terminal and the parking area as well as adding a new concourse and customs office for international commercial flights, according to published reports.
