Indianapolis International Airport - Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal

Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal

A new 1,200,000-square-foot (110,000 m2) midfield passenger terminal opened between Indianapolis International Airport's two main parallel runways, to the southwest of the previous terminal and the crosswind runway in 2008. A new FAA Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) building, 3rd tallest in the United States, opened in April 2006, becoming the first component of the long-planned midfield complex. The Weir Cook Terminal itself opened for arriving flights on the evening of November 11, 2008 and for departures the following morning. HOK was its master designer, with AeroDesign Group serving as architect of record. Aviation Capital Management (Indianapolis), a subsidiary of BSA LifeStructures, is the airport's program manager.

The new terminal, named in honor of Col. Harvey Weir-Cook, contains up to 44 domestic gate positions and 2 international gates (which can also function as domestic gates). Not all gate positions were being used upon opening of the facility, to allow for future expansion by the airlines. In addition, the two gate concourse structures were built to allow for possible future expansion on their respective southwestern ends (which is why gates A1-A2 and B1-B2 do not currently exist in the new facility).

For the first time in the history of Indianapolis International Airport, international arrivals are able to be processed through customs in the main passenger terminal. Passengers arriving at gates A4 and A5 proceed down to the U.S. Customs and Federal Inspection Station on the arrivals level via a dedicated and secured stairway, escalator, or elevator. After clearing customs, they exit directly into the southern end of the main terminal's domestic baggage claim area.

The A concourse has a Delta Sky Club, the first airline lounge at Indianapolis International Airport since US Air closed their lounge following the closure of their hub. The opening date was November 15, 2010.

Eight rental car operations and the Ground Transportation Center (where information about limousine, shuttle bus, hotel courtesy vehicles and other transportation services such as IndyGo bus service can be obtained) are located on the first floor of the attached parking garage. All pick-ups and drop-offs of rental vehicles also occur here, eliminating the need for shuttling customers to and from individual companies' remote processing facilities. The five-floor parking garage covers 11 acres (4.5 ha) on each of its levels. It features a light-filled center atrium complete with a piece of suspended artwork and contains moving sidewalks to speed pedestrians into and out of the terminal building itself.

The airport's long-range master plan also calls for a fourth (third parallel) runway to be built southeast of I-70 at some point in the future. Between 2002 and 2004, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) realigned and rebuilt a portion of this Interstate highway running through the south end of the airport's property. The reconfigured freeway was constructed to allow a future taxiway bridge serving the proposed fourth runway to cross overhead, as well as to provide a new traffic interchange to serve the then under construction midfield terminal complex. This I-70 exit (#68) is now the airport's main entrance, replacing the former entrance at Sam Jones (née Airport) Expressway and High School Road. Provisions have also been made to allow for future Light Rail Transit (LRT) access to the Weir Cook terminal complex.