New Indy Airport terminal opens Tuesday

INDIANAPOLIS – Visitors to the Indianapolis International Airport’s new $1 billion terminal will find plenty of Hoosier touches in the terminal when it opens for business Tuesday.

Local restaurants such as Harry & Izzy’s and the Indianapolis 500 Grill will sit alongside national chains such as Starbucks and Qdoba Mexican Grill. Carpeting in the concourses features leaves of trees native to Indiana, and much of the public artwork was created by Indiana artists.

Among those are a geometric mural called “Chrysalis” near the terminal’s grand escalator that was painted by Indianapolis artist James Wille Faust.

“We are trying to create a place that will be a welcoming atmosphere that will say ‘Indianapolis,’” said David Dawson, an airport spokesman.

Officials plan an opening ceremony at 1 p.m. Tuesday that will include a 1,000 foot ribbon, dozens of speakers, bagpipes and a flyover by the Indiana National Guard’s 122nd Fighter Wing. The first commercial flight is scheduled to arrive after 8 p.m. Tuesday, and the first departures will leave from the terminal Wednesday morning.
The airport terminal is among the first built nationally since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Increased security can be found throughout the terminal, but officials have also tried to make things easier for travelers. The security checkpoints feature high ceilings, natural light and soothing music to ease tension.

Separate, slower-paced lanes are available for families and others needing special assistance. Color-coded signs direct travelers to the appropriate lane – green for families and special needs, blue for casual travelers and black for “expert travelers.”
“The idea behind the checkpoint evolution is to calm the effect of the checkpoint,” said David Kane, Indiana’s federal TSA security director.

The wall that separates security-screened passengers from those who haven’t gone through security yet is adorned with Anderson artist Arlon Bayliss’s “Flight Wave” – V-shaped pieces of glass that represent birds.

Travelers will find many amenities to help pass the time, such as restaurants, shops and free Wi-Fi. But the new terminal doesn’t have every perk featured in some other major U.S. airports.

There are no fine dining restaurants, children’s play areas, smoking areas or computer work stations.