Delta's building a brand-new Sky Club in Atlanta

Delta's mega-hub in Atlanta is getting an upgrade.

This week, Atlanta City Council approved a resolution to spend up to $33.1 million for hometown carrier Delta to construct a brand-new Sky Club in Concourse D at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). Currently, the carrier operates two small clubs in the D concourse, one near Gate D12 and another near Gate D27.

Once the new build is completed, those smaller lounges will close, and Delta will consolidate into the new flagship space in the D concourse.

The new lounge will add a third floor to the D concourse and will span at least 20,000 square feet, according to the resolution. That represents more than double the size of the two existing Sky Clubs, which currently occupy about 9,000 square feet that'll be returned to the city when construction is complete.

Atlanta airport officials say that the construction, which is expected to cost about $33 million, will be funded by airport revenue bonds.

Delta is responsible for the interior finishes and furnishings for the new club at the airport, which is owned and operated by the City of Atlanta

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was among the first outlets to report the story.

The new Sky Club will join Delta's seven other ATL lounges, one of which is temporarily closed due to the pandemic. On Tuesday, Delta CEO Ed Bastian told TPG that every Sky Club networkwide would reopen by the summer.

Atlanta isn't the only Delta airport getting a facelift. The carrier is working on projects in Los Angeles (LAX) and New York LaGuardia (LGA), among others. That work is getting accelerated due to the demand downturn and drop in air traffic related to the pandemic.

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Bastian gave a few more clues on what to expect from the new LAX Sky Club in his recent TPG interview. "It's going to be the full experience with a beautiful, probably our largest, nicest sky Club in the system — where you'll be able to sit outdoors and see the ocean, as well as the Hollywood Hills at the same time. It's going to be a fabulous property and really what LAX needs," he said.

There's also been talk of Delta building an exclusive space for business-class customers, similar to the American Airlines Flagship Lounge and United Polaris Lounge. The carrier hasn't yet confirmed its plans, but several clues have leaked.

In recent months, the carrier, along with local authorities, inaugurated a brand-new terminal in Salt Lake City, one of its "core" hubs. The second phase of the new SLC airport could wrap up to two years early, also thanks to an accelerated timeline due to the pandemic.

Correction: This story is been updated to clarify that no direct taxpayer funds are being used for the club.