Airport Hopes To Restore Concourse C Pending Damage Assessments

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano toured Lambert-St. Louis International Airport Thursday following a devastating tornado that hit the Airport on April 22. Her visit coincided with the first on-site survey of damage from federal and state emergency management teams that are gathering facts on the overall impact of the storm in the St. Louis area. Concourse C, which served four airlines, remains closed. The tornado blew out a majority of windows and caused extensive roof damage on that concourse in addition to causing damage to airline gate areas, stores, restaurants and operational areas. Terminal 1 also suffered extensive damage after windows were blown out of the three-story high domes that frame the ticketing level.

KSTL Lambert St Louis International Airport

"It really is very impressive that this airport got up and running so soon after the tornado hit," said Napolitano. "Now we're all working together to make sure this Airport gets restored and we're working with the neighborhoods throughout the county, because when people lose their homes and their livelihoods, that's such a big deal."

Lambert is also working with its insurance teams to assess damage and determine the next steps to re-open the C Concourse.  All Concourse C airlines have been moved to other concourses and are back in operation. "We hope we can repair and restore the C Concourse and our preliminary findings so far are promising," said Lambert Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge. The damage review process could take a week or more to conclude, she said. 

In other developments, the Airport is continuing with an extensive interior renovations that were underway in A and C Concourses and Terminal 1. Lambert expects the Airport Experience improvements in Concourse C will be part of the overall restoration of that concourse.  Concourse improvements include new lighting, new flooring, renovated restrooms and new art installations. Terminal improvements include an expanded checkpoint, new restrooms, new ticket counters, new ticket level flooring and new signage.

FMI: www.tsa.gov, www.flystl.com