American Airlines and Miami-Dade Unveil $1 Billion Concourse D Expansion Adding 17 New Gates

Project targets Gate D60 area, with construction planned to begin in 2027

American Airlines and Miami-Dade County officials have unveiled plans to expand Concourse D at Miami International Airport (MIA) through a $1 billion project centered on the Gate D60 area. The proposal calls for 17 new aircraft gates and adjoining passenger boarding areas, along with added dining and retail space and upgrades to the airport’s baggage handling system.

The three-level extension is slated to break ground in 2027 and is targeted for completion by 2030. The work would reconfigure the current D60 setup, where passengers often board via a shared area and, for certain operations, from ground level. The redesigned facility is planned to provide traditional “contact” gates with dedicated hold rooms and jet bridges designed to better accommodate larger regional aircraft and narrow-body jets.

International-arrivals connectivity and sustainability targets

A key operational element of the plan is a third-level connection from the new gate areas to Concourse D’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility, intended to support international-arrivals processing as future needs evolve. Airport and airline officials described the design as aimed at improving passenger circulation and reducing congestion at one of the airport’s busiest concourse areas.

The project is also being designed with environmental and resilience benchmarks in mind. The expansion includes features intended to qualify the facility for LEED Silver and Envision Verified certifications, which are commonly used standards for sustainable building and infrastructure performance.

How the D60 expansion fits into MIA’s broader modernization program

The Concourse D project is positioned as one component of a wider, multi-year modernization program at MIA that totals about $9 billion and includes more than 200 projects across terminals and support facilities. The broader program spans capacity additions, aging-infrastructure replacement, and passenger-experience upgrades.

• Concourse D West Extension (D60): groundbreaking in 2027, scheduled completion in 2030.
• Concourse K expansion in the South Terminal area: scheduled to open in 2029.
• Central Terminal redevelopment: a major modernization effort extending into the early 2030s.
• Airport-wide elevator, escalator, and moving-walkway modernization, plus restroom renovations across the terminal complex.

Capacity pressure and traffic growth provide context

The announcement comes as MIA continues to report high passenger volumes and cargo throughput. The airport recorded 55.3 million travelers in 2025, following a 2024 total near 56 million passengers. Cargo volumes have also set successive records, with MIA reporting nearly 3.5 million tons in 2025.

The Gate D60 expansion is presented as a capacity and service-level response to sustained demand at MIA, particularly within Concourse D, the airport’s primary operating base for American Airlines.

Planning documents describe the D60 buildout as both an operational change—shifting gate design toward more modern boarding configurations—and a passenger-amenity upgrade, adding space, concessions, and baggage system improvements alongside the new gates.