As part of what must be Virgin America‘s plan to take over the world, the airline recently announced that it was taking a majority stake in the revitalized Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport. Due to increasing passenger loads the terminal, which was closed in 2000, is slated to spend the next two years refurbishing and will reopen in late 2010.
The most interesting part of this article in this SF Gate article, however, is that Virgin America will be taking TEN of the fourteen available gates. “My,” you say, “that sounds like a lot of gates for an airline that only has about twenty eight departures per day out of SFO.” Could this mean that they plan on expanding further from San Francisco outward? You can bet on it. With routes already planned into Chicago and one of the fastest growth rates in the industry (in an economy that’s shrinking), the airline may need the space sooner than we think.
As for the airport, Virgin America’s stake in the terminal means that they get to weigh in on the overall design. Like Jetblue’s T5 at JFK (they share the same architect), we can expect certain VA “inspired” effects that make you feel super comfy as soon as you set foot in the front door. Said Virgin America spokesperson Abby Lunardini:
“We’re the only carrier based in California and at SFO, so we’re proud to partner with our hometown and the design firm (Gensler) to invest in innovative, guest-facing, and sustainable design for the airport’s next phase — the T2 redesign. Since we launched, we’ve had guests say they want to be on our planes longer, because of the upscale design and amenities — from lighting to the custom-designed seats. T2 is a major opportunity to invest in the airport of the future and to inject some of Virgin’s design aesthetic into the renovation and help create a place travelers may want to spend time.”
The next question is, will the terminal be mood lit as well?