Miami International Airport, September 17, 2025
News Summary
County leaders approved two $8.3 million professional design contracts to assess and redesign baggage handling across Miami International Airport and cleared the $600.6 million Concourse K construction project. The design work will inspect conveyors, produce condition reports, design replacements or upgrades and create a centralized database to track progress. Concourse K will add six gates, a ground support maintenance facility, enhanced baggage systems and airfield upgrades. Both efforts are part of a broader $9 billion modernization plan intended to boost capacity and reduce baggage delays, with work advancing under county oversight.
Miami International Airport Moves to Fix Longstanding Baggage Problems; County OKs New $600.6M Concourse K
Miami International Airport is taking major steps to modernize its baggage handling systems and expand passenger capacity. County aviation leaders approved two professional services contracts worth $8.3 million each to design upgrades across the airport. In a separate vote, commissioners approved the construction of Concourse K, a $600.6 million terminal project that is part of a larger $9 billion modernization program.
Top lines: contracts, costs and the bigger plan
The two design contracts, each for $8.3 million, will run for five years with an option to renew for another five years. The awards go to the first-ranked firm, Introba Inc. of St. Louis, and the second-ranked firm, BNP Associates Inc. of Fairfield, Connecticut. The agreements will fund architectural and engineering services to assess the condition of existing baggage systems and provide designs for replacing those systems and related components.
The Concourse K construction is a separate capital project approved by county commissioners. The work is estimated at $600.6 million and will add six new gates, a ground support equipment maintenance facility, enhanced baggage handling systems and critical airfield upgrades. Construction is slated to start after a ceremonial groundbreaking this summer, with completion expected by spring 2029.
Why this matters now
Baggage handling has been a long-running problem at the airport. Officials say the new design work will help improve customer experiences and speed the handling of bags. The airport receives frequent complaints from travelers about long waits at baggage claim. Separate analysis by a California-based shipping-packaging firm identified this airport as one of the worst hubs for handling luggage, finding roughly 306 lost bags per million flights and about 5.5 lost bags per 1,000 passengers in its analysis.
Airport leaders plan to use a centralized database to track baggage handling work and coordinate the many components of the system. Design teams will evaluate existing systems across terminals and recommend replacements and upgrades to reduce delays and lost luggage rates.
Where this fits into a larger program
The baggage-design contracts and Concourse K are part of a broad airport modernization plan aimed at preparing the facility for future growth. The plan positions the airport to handle an estimated 77 million passengers and 5 million tons of cargo by 2040. Airport officials reported nearly 56 million passengers and more than 3 million U.S. tons of freight in 2024, and they note the airport is a leading U.S. hub for international freight and passengers to Latin America and the Caribbean.
The broader program is expected to increase capacity and create thousands of new jobs through the construction and operations phases. The Concourse K contract names Lemartec-NV2A JV, LLC as the general contractor and Perez & Perez Architects Planners, Inc. as the lead architect.
Project and contract details
- Two professional-services contracts: $8.3M each, five-year base term plus five-year renewal option.
- Design work covers evaluation of existing baggage systems and design of replacements and tie-in components.
- Centralized database will track baggage-handling upgrades and work progress.
- Concourse K: $600.6M, six new gates, ground support equipment maintenance facility, enhanced baggage systems, airfield upgrades.
- Concourse K general contractor: Lemartec-NV2A JV, LLC; lead architect: Perez & Perez Architects Planners, Inc.
- Concourse K start: following summer groundbreaking; target completion: spring 2029.
Background and public outreach
Commissioners previously considered large-scale baggage upgrades. In 2018, a planned upgrade price reached $230 million during past deliberations. The current design contracts aim to produce the engineering plans needed to move construction forward in phases under the larger capital program. The airport also provides contact information for public meeting accommodations, including an ADA coordinator email and a phone number for Florida Relay Service for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Data and analysis about baggage mishandling
Independent analysis cited passenger volume and online searches for lost-and-found services to gauge baggage problems at major airports. That work flagged the airport for a higher-than-average rate of mishandled bags and suggested travelers consider extra time between connections or using tracking devices to reduce the risk of lost luggage.
What comes next
Design teams will begin evaluating systems across the airport and developing engineering documents. Concourse K construction follows the ceremonial groundbreaking and will move forward with the named contractors and architects. Both the baggage projects and Concourse K fit into the airport’s multi-year capital plan to expand capacity and modernize core systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new design contracts for?
The contracts fund architectural and engineering services to evaluate current baggage systems throughout the airport and design replacements and related components.
How much do the contracts cost and who won them?
Each contract is $8.3 million. The first-ranked firm is Introba Inc., and the second-ranked firm is BNP Associates Inc. The contracts include five-year terms with five-year renewal options.
What is Concourse K and when will it be ready?
Concourse K is a $600.6 million construction project that will add six gates, a maintenance facility for ground equipment, enhanced baggage handling systems, and airfield upgrades. Construction starts after a summer groundbreaking and completion is scheduled by spring 2029.
How will this affect travelers now?
Design work will not immediately change traveler experience, but it sets the stage for future projects that should reduce baggage delays and improve claim times as new systems are built and activated.
Who can I contact for meeting accommodations?
The airport provides an ADA coordinator email and a phone number for accommodations. A relay service number is also available for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Key project features at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Baggage design contracts | Two contracts at $8.3M each, five-year base term + five-year renewal, firms: Introba Inc. and BNP Associates Inc. |
| Concourse K | $600.6M; six gates; ground support maintenance facility; enhanced baggage systems; airfield upgrades; target complete Spring 2029. |
| Larger program | $9B modernization plan to handle 77M passengers and 5M tons of cargo by 2040. |
| Recent traffic | Nearly 56M passengers and over 3M U.S. tons of freight in 2024. |
| Independent analysis | Study found roughly 306 lost bags per million flights and about 5.5 lost bags per 1,000 passengers at this airport in its comparison. |
| Contact for accommodations | Email the ADA coordinator or call the listed phone numbers; relay service available at 711 for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
Additional Resources
- Miami Today News: Airport to modernize baggage handling systems
- Wikipedia: Miami International Airport
- Miami International Airport (official): Concourse K press release
- Google Search: Concourse K Miami International Airport
- Miami New Times: Miami airport loses more luggage than any airport in world
- Google Scholar: Miami International Airport baggage mishandling
- Travel + Leisure: U.S. airport named worst in world for lost luggage
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Miami International Airport
- Airways Magazine: Miami Int. worst hub for handling luggage
- Google News: Miami International Airport baggage
Author: Construction NY News
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