
City, state and airport officials broke ground Friday for a new terminal and parking structure at Mobile International Airport ā a project termed ātransformationalā by many of the speakers at the celebration.
The $330Ā million construction project is key to moving Mobileās commercial air service from its present location on the far west side of the city to a location thatās convenient to two interstates and the rapidly growing Port of Mobile.
For a city that has lamented watching more than half its potential air travelers choose airports in Pensacola or Gulfport, the new location represents hope for more service, more destinations, more competition and lower fares.
Together with the deepening and widening of seaport facilities a stoneās throw away ā āItās the most transformational project ever undertaken by this community,ā said Airport Authority President Chris Curry.
He lauded U.S. Senator Richard Shelby for his role in creating the Transportation Demonstration Program, which provided $100Ā million earlier this year for airport and seaport improvements āto position Mobile as a major transportation hub.ā
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said, āThere have been over the years a lot of pivotal groundbreakings in our community, but this certainly stacks right up there at the top of all of them. But also, itās an opportunity weāre going to have by locating an international airport by the fastest growing container port in America. I donāt think any of us can really envision what that will mean for the next generations of Mobilians.ā
Adding the new I-10 bridge will create a ātrifectaā of opportunity for the city, Stimpson said, predicting āthe payout will be billions of dollars for future generations because of the deepening and widening at the port, the international airport and the I-10 bridge.ā
Stimpson credited Shelby as the one person who turned these transportation plans from dream to reality. āIf it wasnāt for his 50-plus years of public service and his knowledge of how to work the political process and all the relationships that he has built over the years, were it not for all that, Iām not sure that we would have ā matter of fact, Iām sure that we would not haveĀ ā the funding secured for this project.ā

Airport Board Chairman Elliot Maisel suggested that the airport would improve the lifestyle of the city, saying āall that trickle-down effect of all those jobs and all that revenue will make our city a much better place to live and raise our children.ā
Also calling the project ātransformational,ā Gov. Kay Ivey said, āMobile holds the unique position of becoming the ultimate transportation hub,ā which will benefit not just the state but also the entire nation.
āAbout 300 years ago, the French came here,ā Shelby quipped in a nod to Toulouse, France-based Airbus, which is next door to the new terminal. āThey knew what they were doing. They sailed in here. Now theyāre flying out, arenāt they?ā
Noting that the seaport is the reason Mobile is where it is, Shelby said, āYouāve got a beautiful port; youāve got an airport ⦠thatās going to be bigger and better; youāve got five railroads coming into the port, and you have two interstate highways within walking distance āyouāve got the unique situation and youāve got the people. So Mobile is uniquely situated for an intermodal center second to none.ā