A $2 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminal Program will go with other federal and local dollars to help Eugene Airport modernize its baggage system, one of several projects planned that will culminate in adding Concourse C to the airport.
Those projects include the baggage project, an expansion of Concourse A, updating jet bridges and more.
"The baggage system, specifically, we moved up in that process because the [Transportation Security Administration] came to us and said ‘we think you need a fully inline baggage system,’" said Airport Director Cathryn Stephens.
An inline baggage system, according to the TSA, is a conveyor belt based system that moves, screens, sorts and tracks baggage automatically.
The baggage system project will cost a total of $50 million, with roughly $20 million coming from the FAA and TSA grants. The remaining $30 million will come from bonds backed by a passenger facility charge.
The airport will seek bids and get permits for the project this summer, with plans to start construction next year. Most of the work will be done in non-public parts of the airport.
