The approximately $50 million overhaul of the Martha’s Vineyard Airport terminal is set to start later this month, a milestone in a project that has been kicked around for about a decade. 

The construction, which is being sought to enclose the departures area and give more space to federal security screeners, is scheduled to start on Oct. 20. The airport is planning to renovate about 5,000 square feet of the existing terminal and add about 15,000 square feet — nearly doubling the size of the current building. 

The project got a major boost last year when the airport received a $15 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration, and officials are excited it is finally coming to fruition. 

Rendering shows new addition. — Courtesy Martha's Vineyard Airport

“We’re really looking forward to it,” said Bob Rosenbaum, the chair of the airport commission. “It will be a really nice addition. It will make everything more comfortable and efficient.” 

The current terminal was built in 1998, straddling the West Tisbury and Edgartown town line. Within just a few years though, it was obsolete due to the changes in airport security that came from the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. 

“We’ve been struggling really since then,” said Geoff Freeman, the director of the airport. 

Agents with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have been crammed in a small area, and using equipment that wasn’t designed for the terminal. That has often led to long lines at the terminal, which can see tens of thousands of commercial flight passengers go through it in any given summer month. 

Under the new plan, the TSA screening area will be moved to the other side of the terminal, near where the rental car agencies and baggage claim currently sit. TSA will now have room for two screening lines, which the airport hopes can cut back on lines in the summer months. 

“It’s not a very good space and it’s really crowded,” Mr. Freeman said. 

The construction comes as the airport has experienced a record number of passengers in recent years. In 2024, nearly 82,000 people flew on commercial flights in and out of the airport, setting a new high.

Those passengers are also increasingly coming on larger aircraft, adding to the logjams. When the terminal was built, the average aircraft carried about 46 people. That’s now climbed to 140 people. 

A significant portion of the addition will also be to enclose the departure area, which currently consists of a tent and porta-potties next to the tarmac. Because the departure area is outside, people often will come back into the terminal if there is inclement weather, meaning they have to go through the TSA check point again. 

This again contributes to headaches at the screening portion, according to Mr. Rosenbaum. Some people will also not get into line if the weather’s hot until the last minute, and they can end up missing flights.

Departures area would be moved to the other side of the terminal and enclosed. — Courtesy Martha's Vineyard Airport

“It’s just really been not good and people not wanting to go sit out in the tent on a hot day,” Mr. Rosenbaum said. “Post-screen hold room will now actually be pleasant.” 

Construction is expected to be completed in May 2028, according to Mr. Freeman, and it will run in several phases to work around the busy summer season. Work will start with underground infrastructure, such as piping and conduits while the weather is still good.

Among the other changes will be a new stormwater filtration system, and changing the current heating from oil to propane. 

Parking lot A, a long-term lot at the terminal, will be closed for about two years during construction and will act as a staging area. Parking will be shifted to parking lots B and C, both of which are under utilized, according to Mr. Freeman. 

Mr. Freeman emphasized that the project is not designed to attract more air traffic. Instead, it’s aimed at improving the experience for the existing passengers. 

“The runway is not being lengthened...It is really to help with the passenger experience and flow of the terminal,” he said. 

The project will also not cost Island residents more in local taxes, as it is being paid through federal and state grants, as well as the airport’s own budget. 

“We don’t take local tax assessments from the county,” Mr. Freeman said. 

Though officials are ready for construction to start, another long-term plan to build a new air traffic control tower has been shelved by federal officials. Mr. Freeman said the project was indefinitely tabled due to a lack of funding and the cost of design. 

This will not change the design of the airport addition, though the airport would have gained some extra space if the tower had been moved. 

“We are building as we would regardless of if it happened or not,” Mr. Freeman said.