Bradley International Airport Expanding Parking by 1,500 Spaces, Offering New Food Options
Aug. 3—Officials at Bradley International Airport are expanding parking capacity at the Windsor Locks facility by converting space formerly occupied by rental car offices.
Construction to expand Surface Lot 3 on Schoephoester Road is approaching its midpoint, according to officials with the Connecticut Airport Authority, which operates the airport. When the conversion process is completed this winter, the size of the lot will have increased by about 14 acres, which will allow for more than 1,500 additional parking spaces and increase the airport's overall parking by approximately 20%.
The parking lot expansion was made possible after the rental offices that had been located on the site were moved to the airport's new ground transportation center, which opened in 2022. In addition to housing the rental car companies that serve Bradley travelers, the ground transportation center also includes a parking garage.
The parking lot expansion is part of a larger parking initiative that includes new digitized signs and a multi-million-dollar parking guidance system in the garage. The goal of the initiative, according to Airport Authority Executive Director Michael Shea, is to enhance the experience of passengers while keeping daily rates competitive and lower than at most airports in the region.
"We are seeing increased demand for our parking product," Shea said in a statement. "More importantly, the upgrades that have been undertaken improve the passenger journey while the resulting revenue growth helps us keep operating costs low for our airline partners."
The parking upgrades build are part of an effort to modernize facilities at Bradley. The CAA most recently completed a project worth more than $250 million worth to the airport's terminal, including a new concourse, two new exit lanes, new passenger meet and greet locations, and an expanded TSA checkpoint. Passengers will also see new dining options, including Urban Lodge Brewing Co, which has already opened, as well as a Chick-fil-A, Sergio's Go, and Sparrow Pizza, which will be unveiled in the coming months.
Bradley International Airport's operations are self-funded and the revenue it generates supports ongoing upgrades for the convenience of passengers, according to CAA officials. The airport is New England's second largest airport in terms of passenger traffic after Boston's Logan International.
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