San Antonio International Airport (SAT) has celebrated the completion the 5,000ft² General Aviation Federal Inspection Station (GA/FIS) with a grand opening.
SAT processed more than 22,000 international general aviation arriving passengers and over 4,200 general aviation aircraft through the temporary customs area in Terminal A while the new facility was being constructed in 2016. The new facility separates commercial and general aviation aircraft, aiming to improve the customer experience for passengers going through customs.
Russ Handy, aviation director for the city of San Antonio, said, “This project aligns with our mission and vision to offer ongoing prosperity for South Texas and provide a more phenomenal customer experience to our international travelers.”
Innova Aerospace invested more than US$2m to design and build the facility, as negotiated by the city as part of a public/private partnership. In the 25-year lease agreement, the City’s aviation department constructed the apron and taxiway improvements to provide airside access to the facility, which is located on the north side of the airfield on Skyplace Boulevard.
Customs and border protection will provide agents to process all inbound international general aviation flights, and the city will maintain the building and all associated costs excluding staff salaries.
