SALT LAKE CITY — TheSalt Lake City International Airport is one step closer to completing phase one of the new airport, with a new facility that helps store and deliver goods to airport concessions.
A ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday marked the opening of the central receiving and distribution center.
It will streamline the process of screening and delivering goods, like food and drink to restaurants and shops inside the airport.
“This will be much more efficient, much safer and a much more secure operation,” said Bill Wyatt, Executive Director of the Salt Lake City Department of Airports.
Not only is this a safer and more efficient way of getting goods into the terminal, but it will also cut down on traffic and emissions at the airport.
“It’s a great service to the concessionaires who are operating in the airport,” Wyatt said. “They don’t have to worry about this part of the operation any longer and I think for the traveling public it’s just not something they’re ever going to have to think about.”
Third party delivery trucks will no longer be making hundreds of weekly trips to drop off goods.
“All of the goods that go from the land side inside the terminal building, will be received here, they’ll be screened right over here, to go on trucks and they’ll go into the terminal building,” Wyatt said.
Wyatt also said it’s a more sustainable operation. All the excess food that doesn’t get sold will be donated to the Salt Lake City Mission to be handed out to the community.
“Everything that people know as the old Salt Lake airport is going to be demolished,” Wyatt said. “And then in a year, they’ll see nothing of the old airport except for the runways and taxiways and the new facility is spectacular and I think people will love it.”
Phase one of the new airport is still on schedule to be complete September 15.
