Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), about 30 miles north of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), opened a new $1.3 billion terminal on October 13, replacing a passenger complex whose oldest buildings date to 1930. But one thing about flying from Burbank hasn’t changed: You’ll still walk across the tarmac and climb the stairs or ramp to your plane.
“Hollywood Burbank Airport has always been one of Southern California’s most convenient gateways,” Visit Burbank’s chairman of the board Michael Hernandez tells Afar. “The new terminal offers travelers a modern, improved experience while preserving the accessibility that makes Burbank so appealing.”
Indeed, despite its small stature, the airport served 6.2 million arriving and departing passengers in 2025. Nine major airlines operate out of the airport—Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, American, Breeze, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, and United—flying to 29 destinations nonstop. Though many of the destinations are West Coast cities—San Jose (SJC) and Santa Rosa (STS) in California, Portland (PDX), and Seattle (SEA)—several go the distance, such as Alaska’s seasonal and Southwest’s year-round nonstop to Honolulu and JetBlue’s year-round route to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Why did Hollywood Burbank Airport build a new terminal?
More than half of the Burbank airport’s passengers fly Southwest, which can now bring in its larger Boeing 737 MAX 8s (175 seats, versus 137 on the 737-700s the old terminal could handle). This was made possible by building the new terminal farther from the runways to comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
The old terminal sat 257 feet from the active runway, despite FAA standards requiring a 750-foot buffer, according to the Los Angeles Times. The new one is now about 880 feet away. Upgrades were also made to meet current earthquake and Americans with Disabilities Act standards for accessibility.
An airline spokesperson tells Afar that the fresh facilities allow the low-cost carrier to “offer more of our larger and newer aircraft which have the added benefits of being quieter and more fuel efficient while offering additional seating and a more premium in-cabin experience.” Additionally, it cements the carrier’s commitment to Burbank and the broader Los Angeles region.
The new terminal, the airport’s Elevate BUR project, measures 355,000 square feet, about 53 percent larger than the 232,000-square-foot complex it replaces. It was built on the opposite side of the airfield, so flights continued uninterrupted during construction, which began in January 2024. The entrance to the airport now shifts to Winona Avenue at Hollywood Way, away from its previous spot on Thornton Avenue.
What’s new inside the Burbank airport terminal?
A sweeping canopy marks the new entrance to Hollywood Burbank Airport, which opened October 13.
Photo courtesy of Hollywood Burbank Airport
Although the terminal has the same number of gates—14—as its predecessor, the travelers’ experience is far sleeker, elevating the airport into the modern era. Among the upgrades are valet parking in the airport parking structure, rideshare pickup and drop-off zones steps from the terminal (previously located at the ground transportation island across from the Terminal B entrance), and a new bar overlooking the airfield. Local touches are also woven into its design, from cactus and succulents in the outdoor landscape to artwork by L.A.-based Japanese American artist Glenn Kaino and sculptures by Cliff Garten—creative director of his eponymous landscape design studio in Venice, California—that nod to Amelia Earhart, who flew from this airfield in the 1930s.
While Hollywood Burbank Airport has 6,637 parking spots, the same as before, 2,000 are in the new parking structure, which also has 310 electric vehicle charging ports. There’s no direct rail service to the terminal, but shuttle service is offered from both Burbank Airport–North Station (with connections to Metro and BurbankBus) and Burbank Airport–South Station (with Amtrak, Metro, and Metro Micro service).
One of its more unique services is its Waggage Claim, a pet therapy program that’s been operating at the airport since 2022 (after a brief hiatus during the pandemic) in conjunction with Alliance of Therapy Dogs Inc. The program eases the stresses and anxieties of travel with 14 pups who “can help provide relief and comfort as passengers embark on their journey,” according to the airport’s site.
Shops and restaurants at Hollywood Burbank Airport
Floor-to-ceiling windows light the Gate 3 waiting area, where every seat has a power outlet.
Photo courtesy of Hollywood Burbank Airport
The terminal has about half a dozen shops, including the Arts District Market and Mac & Jo Malone, plus 13 new places to eat and drink, most of them from local operators.
The Main Hall houses Spring Kitchen, Poquito Mas, West Coast Smash Burgers, Pete’s Pub, Diane’s Italian Market, Massis Kabob, and Starbucks. There’s also Pasadena sandwich powerhouse Perry’s Joint near Gates 2 and 3, Farm Table Bistro by Gate 5, Jones Coffee Roasters at Gate 6, Guy Fieri’s Flavor Town at Gate 7, Border Grill from chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger at Gate 12, and Jet Tila’s Asian Table by Gate 13.
Do you still walk on the tarmac at Burbank airport?
The old Spanish Revival terminal has a charm and simplicity that some fliers will miss—myself included, having flown out of Burbank in the early 2000s on business trips while working in the entertainment business. But the new terminal does retain one crucial element of that small airport appeal: its outdoor boarding experience.
Passengers will continue to walk onto the tarmac and use stairs or a ramp to board the plane from the aircraft’s front and back doors. The airport said in a release that it’s a “feature increasingly rare in commercial aviation,” and Hollywood Burbank Airport’s public information officer Mike Christensen tells Afar that it serves as a “warm human touch for passengers that’s unmistakingly BUR.” However, there is one major change: The baggage carousels, which had been outdoors as well, are now indoors.
Still, the charm remains in the cozy sizes of the mostly regional flights. The first departure at the new terminal on Tuesday was Alaska Flight 3401 to Santa Rosa at 7:03 a.m. with 33 passengers, while the first arrival—Southwest Flight 189 from Las Vegas—landed 13 minutes later with 30 fliers.
“The new terminal was designed to support travelers’ evolving needs while preserving the convenience, accessibility, and ease of travel that have long distinguished Hollywood Burbank Airport,” Christensen tells Afar. A Southwest spokesperson adds that the facility offers an “updated ground experience that preserves convenience of a neighborhood airport.”
