A 96-Year-Old Terminal Makes Way for Hollywood Glamour
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Hollywood Burbank Airport opens a $1.3 billion replacement terminal on October 13, 2026, bringing bigger planes, more parking, and modernized facilities to the gateway Toluca Lake residents use every day.
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The new terminal, called "The Icon," is designed to reflect the glitz of Hollywood while solving decades-old safety and capacity problems. For Toluca Lake, a neighborhood that sits just minutes from the airport's gates, the upgrade means bigger planes, more parking, and a completely redesigned passenger experience.
"You really don't get to do a project like this very often. What we were able to do is actually make a simpler and more intuitive terminal."
— Patrick Lammerding, deputy executive director of operations at Hollywood Burbank Airport, told Travel + Leisure
The old terminal sits just 250 feet from active runways, which falls short of modern Federal Aviation Administration design standards. It also predates current California earthquake codes and accessibility requirements.
John Hatanaka, executive director at Hollywood Burbank Airport, told AirwaysMag that the replacement terminal is a safety project the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority has pursued for decades.
"The existing terminal does not meet current Federal Aviation Administration design standards or current California seismic standards. The Replacement Passenger Terminal will more than satisfy these standards."
— John Hatanaka, executive director, Hollywood Burbank Airport
The project was approved in 2016 and is funded entirely by airport users and airline fees, at no cost to local taxpayers, according to Hatanaka.
The replacement terminal covers 355,000 square feet, a 50 percent increase over the current 232,000-square-foot facility. Key upgrades include:
The new terminal roadway separates traffic types, addressing congestion at the current terminal where arrival and departure traffic commingle on a single access road.
One of the most significant changes for travelers is the ability to board larger aircraft. The old terminal's gates lacked the clearance for modern high-capacity narrowbody jets.
According to Nomad Lawyer, the new taxiways and wider parking stands allow carriers to deploy Boeing 737 MAX 10 and Airbus A321neo aircraft. This compatibility enables airlines to offer more seats per flight while reducing noise and carbon emissions across Southern California airspace.
The airport currently serves 10 airlines, including Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue, Delta, American, and United, with nonstop flights to more than 30 cities, mostly in the western United States, according to Travel + Leisure.
The new gate flexibility could enable airlines to schedule direct long-haul flights to the East Coast and Hawaii without requiring connection layovers, according to Nomad Lawyer.
The terminal is on track to achieve LEED Gold certification, according to AirwaysMag. Environmental features include:
The design leans into the region's entertainment heritage. Travel + Leisure reported that passengers will see a "premiere night" sparkly effect on the building's exterior. Inside, terrazzo floors are inlaid with shapes evoking movie spotlights, and canopy supports are designed like searchlights.
"What people told us is they want a reflection of the glitz and glamor of Hollywood in that building. And so that was the basis for the theme."
— Patrick Lammerding, deputy executive director of operations, Hollywood Burbank Airport
Artwork from local artisans will rotate every six months throughout the building.
One defining feature of Hollywood Burbank Airport is not going anywhere. Passengers still walk outside across the apron and up stairs to their planes, a practice that dates back to the original terminal.
"It harkens back to old Hollywood style."
— Janie Mills, senior manager of design integration at Holder Construction, the firm building the terminal, told Travel + Leisure
The airport will not include airline lounges. Lammerding said he wanted the entire building to feel "kind of lounge-y" rather than a place where travelers need to escape to relax.
Toluca Lake sits in the flight path corridor for Hollywood Burbank Airport. Noise complaints have been a long-standing issue for nearby residents.
According to Wikipedia, the third-party site Airnoise.io had received 3,540,332 noise complaints for Hollywood Burbank Airport as of December 14, 2022. The airport also tracks complaints through its own Webtrak system.
The new terminal's ability to accommodate larger, more efficient aircraft could reduce noise per flight by consolidating passengers onto fewer, quieter planes. Nomad Lawyer reported that the new taxiways and aircraft compatibility "enable airlines to offer increased seating capacity per departure while significantly reducing noise and carbon emissions across Southern California airspace."
Travel + Leisure advised passengers to arrive at least two hours before domestic departures during the transition weeks as travelers adapt to the new layout.
The full replacement terminal marks the end of an era for one of Southern California's most distinctive airports. For Toluca Lake residents, the changes are not just about convenience. They are about safety, noise, and the future of the airport that sits at the edge of their neighborhood.
This article was generated with AI assistance.