A look inside the new tree-lined main terminal at Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport (PDX) in Portland, Oregon, is undergoing a much-needed $2.15 billion makeover.
While construction has been underway since at least 2020, visitors will likely feel it was all worth the wait when the airport's temporary walls come down Aug. 14 to reveal the next (and best) part of the project.
Beginning Aug. 14, visitors will experience an expansive and reimagined main terminal designed by architecture firm ZGF with a soaring timber roof, the latest in check-in and checkpoint technology, live trees and plants, and plenty of art, shops, restaurants and inviting places to hang out.
Wondering what you can expect? Here's a first look at what passengers and the public will see at PDX.
This is an airport?
As you walk into the new main terminal, right past the check-in area, you'll notice a forestlike giant hall with more than 70 live trees, 5,000-plus plants, almost 50 skylights and a soaring 9-acre roof made entirely of Douglas fir wood harvested from all kinds of sustainably managed farms in Oregon and Washington.
The check-in experience
Airline check-in counters are clustered in four carpeted islands perpendicular to the entrance. Passengers flying Alaska Airlines with bags to check will find the newest iteration of the carrier's automatic bag drop system here. The self-service system encourages passengers to scan their boarding passes, print out and attach bag tags, weigh their bags, pay a checked bag fee (if necessary) and send the bags on their way.
Shops, restaurants and public spaces
On the main floor, you'll find about a dozen presecurity shops and restaurants (some in pop-up form for now). Current options include Hello From Portland, Steven Smith Teamaker, Orox Leather Co., Paper Epiphanies, The Country Cat and Powell's Books.
This main terminal area sports two banks of stadium seating with solid wood benches perfect for hanging out before a flight. This space has a stage area for live performances as well. During our visit, we spotted a grand piano ready to be put in place.
The return of the PDX carpet
At the top of each bank of stadium seats are lounges with seating areas. Underfoot, you'll spot carpeting that brings back the much-loved teal-and-purple pattern that inspired thousands, perhaps millions, of shoe selfies.
The pattern and colors of the original carpet, which was installed across the airport in 1988 and replaced in 2015, were carefully recreated for installation in these lounges and for several other spots in the new main terminal area.
Mezzanine restaurant with views
Loyal Legion, a popular local beer hall, will occupy the mezzanine level of the presecurity main terminal area. In addition to serving more than 90 Oregon beers on tap, this venue will offer great views of the surrounding landscape, including the airfield, as well as a perch to watch the bustling activity in the main hall.
New and improved security checkpoints
The new main hall at PDX has two identical Transportation Security Administration checkpoints equipped with the latest security screening technology. Above each checkpoint is a 120-foot-long video wall displaying shorts about some of the airport art, as well as images inspired by Oregon landscapes. The content on the screens is designed to offer "positive distractions" and changes according to the time of day, the weather and, somehow, the number of people currently in the terminal.
At the carpeted checkpoints, travelers will find TSA officers using Credential Authentication Technology to review travel documents. This means passengers will only need to show a photo ID, not their boarding pass, when passing through.
At six Automated Screening Lanes for general (non-TSA PreCheck) travelers, three passengers at a time will be able to load their belongings into trays. That should speed things up, as will the fact that liquids and electronics will not be removed from bags.
As for the passenger screening process, each checkpoint has five of the newest Advanced Imaging Technology body scanners, which use millimeter wave technology. These machines are wider than previous models and allow passengers to keep their hands at their side, instead of over their heads. According to the TSA, these machines can be used for people who have metal hips, knee replacements or metal pins in their bodies since they are not metal detectors.
An intriguing round, wood "hut" at each checkpoint at PDX serves as a private screening room for travelers who might need additional screening and request that it be done in private.
Bottom line
Passengers at Portland International Airport are about to experience a gleaming new airport terminal, a much-anticipated development for this Alaska Airlines hub and one of the busiest airports in the Pacific Northwest.
From local touches to refreshed public spaces, the terminal overhaul brings a mix of technological advances and aesthetic improvements.
Even classic details like PDX's iconic carpet are part of the reimagined space. Lovers of the original feature will notice a new version of it linking the old terminal to the updated one.
As airports around the U.S. unveil long-awaited new terminals and face-lifts, PDX can join the ranks of airports you actually want to spend time at.
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