St. Louis Lambert Airport, in the Doldrums, Plans for Another Update

Nov. 5—ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Lambert International Airport is updating its airport layout plan, a 20-year guide for future development.

The plan will include airfield enhancements, passenger terminal modernization, road improvements as well as other aspects related to the property and tenants, said John van Woensel, vice president of the consulting and design firm WSP USA, in a presentation to the airport's board of commissioners over Zoom on Wednesday.

His firm is spearheading the plan that will shape how the Federal Aviation Administration allocates airport funding.

Like all airports, Lambert has been hit hard by reduced air travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. He said that the Federal Aviation Administration agreed with his company's assessment that the St. Louis airport will return to 2019 passenger counts by 2024, which will be the planning basis for the study.

He also said the airport's recovery is aided by the strong presence of Southwest Airlines.

No details are available yet about what specific updates to the plan could include, but three public surveys will be done, one of which has been completed.

The update will match projects to funding sources, officials said, and should be completed this summer. That report will present the 20-year vision and identify short- and long-term improvements.

More information is expected in February.

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