LAX gets all the attention, but Angelenos in the know have long favoured Hollywood-Burbank Airport (BUR) — small, quick, and roughly 30 minutes from West Hollywood. Now the valley's favourite airport has a serious upgrade: a brand-new 355,000-square-foot terminal that opened on October 13, about 53% larger than what it replaced.
The $1.3 billion project, branded Elevate BUR, was approved back in 2016 with construction starting in early 2024. The driving reason wasn't aesthetics but safety: the original terminal, built steps from a runway dating to 1930, sat just 250 feet from the tarmac and no longer met FAA design standards. The new building sits about 880 feet back, comfortably exceeding current rules.
Crucially for anyone who hates airport marathons, everything is now under one roof. Two terminals have consolidated into one with 14 gates (a cap set by agreement with the City of Burbank), eight TSA lanes — up from five across the old two buildings — and short walks all round: the furthest gate is four minutes from security, the closest just two. Drop-off and pickup are signposted near Winona Avenue and Hollywood Way.
Bigger gates mean bigger planes, too. The old layout restricted some aircraft to smaller models like Southwest's 137-seat 737-700; the new gates handle wingspans up to 118 feet, including 175-seat 737-800s and Frontier's 240-seat A321neo. Southwest, which carries 56.5% of BUR's traffic, plans to swap in larger, quieter aircraft and boost frequency on existing routes — including the twice-weekly Honolulu nonstop. Flight counts (currently 70–85 a day) shouldn't jump much, but seat numbers will.
The design leans into Old Hollywood: a silver roof canopy nodding to the silver screen and a spotted ceiling inspired by Marilyn Monroe's famous "Happy Birthday" dress. There are 13 local food and drink outlets — Perry's Joint, Poquito Mas, Guy Fieri's Flavortown among them — plus six shops including Octavia's Bookshelf inside Pasadena Mercantile. Amenities skew thoughtful: upscale post-security restrooms with free menstrual products, family and nursing rooms, ADA-friendly facilities, a pet relief area with a miniature fire hydrant, and magnetic wireless charging at gate desks. One catch: outlets use USB-C, so pack the right cable. Parking pain is solved too, with a six-level, EV-friendly garage holding 2,000 spots steps from the door.
Demolition of the old terminal begins on opening day and must finish within 12 months, after which the site becomes part of the airfield.
For travellers, this is genuinely good news. Burbank's appeal was always speed and simplicity — and the rebuild keeps that while adding space, better planes and proper food. If you're heading to Hollywood, the eastside or the Valley, it's now an even stronger alternative to LAX. Note that short runways and hot Valley weather can still force weight limits on some departures, so check your flight's status in summer.
