Passengers traveling through Des Moines International Airport will notice a new gate identification system ahead of the terminal expansion planned to open at the start of 2027.
The new system will be in place in time for the first departing flight on Wednesday, May 13, according to a news release from airport officials on Monday.
The existing gate format divides the current terminal into two concourses, A and C, with gates designated by their concourse letter and gate number ― for example, Gate A2. The new system will use just the number, the release said.
The $550 million, 360,000-square-foot new terminal ultimately will add 11 gates to the existing 13 by 2030. In the first phase, six more gates will open in early 2027.
“By implementing the new numbering system now, passengers and airline partners will become familiar with the updated format well ahead of the terminal opening,” Clinton Torp, chief operations officer for the airport, said in the release.
What gate changes will passengers see at Des Moines International Airport?
Passengers don’t need to worry about updating boarding passes or flight information because airline carriers are working with the airport to ensure that the new gate identifications are reflected on upcoming flights.
New gate signage will be installed in the concourse, along with airport wayfinding signs. Updates to exterior gate identifications already are underway to accommodate airline and pilot operations, according to the news release.
The transition will begin overnight on Tuesday and be completed by the following day.
When will the new terminals open at Des Moines International Airport?
After the opening of the first six new gates next year, a seventh will also open in 2027. Two more will open in 2028, followed by the final two in 2030, airport officials said in January. The existing gates on the legacy concourse, which dates from 1948, will remain in operation.
The new terminal also will house a new ticketing and baggage claim area. But the concourse and gates will remain in operation, with a newly constructed bridge connecting them to the new facility, airport officials said.
Construction officials said the existing ticketing area in the old terminal will be demolished, and the baggage area will be reconfigured into offices for airport administration. The rental car counters are slated to move early this spring to a new facility near the intersection of Army Post Road and SW 28th Street, just west of the current rental car maintenance facility. Shuttle buses will link it to the terminal.
The project is intended to accommodate the growth in travelers at Des Moines International Airport in recent years. For the third year in a row, the airport has seen a record number of passengers pass through its terminals, surpassing 3.25 million in 2025.
Kate Kealey is the growth and development reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines airport’s gate numbers are changing; here’s what to expect.
Reporting by Kate Kealey, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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