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San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is approaching its centenary. It was originally established in 1927 as an experimental airfield in a leased 150-acre cow pasture, before becoming a more permanent fixture that was officially named Mills Field Municipal Airport. After the property was purchased by the City of San Francisco the growing airport’s name was officially changed to San Francisco Airport, with the ‘International’ tagged on at the end of World War II as overseas service rapidly expanded.
Photo: SFO
SFO has grown significantly since then, and today is one of the busiest airports in the US, beloved by aviation enthusiasts for its double parallel runways and ample spaces to view aircraft movements and capture unique pictures. But it has also grabbed headlines and numerous awards for the recent completion of its upgrades to Terminal 1, now named Harvey Milk Terminal 1. But what makes this terminal so special and why are experts calling it a ‘game changer’? Let’s take a closer look.
The history of Terminal 1
Harvey Milk Terminal 1 was formerly known as the ‘South Terminal’, and originally opened in 1963. At the time, it was made up of three piers: Pier E was used by American Airlines, Pier F was used by Trans World Airlines and Western Airlines, and Pier G was for international flights and had a three-level rotunda added to it in 1974.
It underwent a further renovation that was completed in 1988, but by the turn of the century, SFO was already handling over 40 million annual passengers and its aging infrastructure was creaking under the pressure. With estimations of passenger growth to more than 60 million by 2025, SFO decided to embark on more than $5 billion of upgrades to the airport, which included a $2.4 billion investment in the modernization of what was now called Terminal 1.
Photo: SFO
The Terminal 1 upgrades focused on extensive updates to the concourses and the addition of new gates, and officially broke ground in June 2016. Two years later, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors signed legislation renaming Terminal 1 after deceased gay rights activist and former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Harvey Milk, and approved plans to install artwork memorializing him. This makes Harvey Milk Terminal 1 the world’s first airport facility named after a leader of the LGBTQ community.
Photo: SFO
The upgrade of Harvey Milk Terminal 1
As the price tag suggests, the redevelopment work on the Harvey Milk Terminal was a substantial project, and was conducted over 8 years and three separate phases as follows:
- Phase 1: Completed in July 2019, this included a complete redevelopment of the check-in lobby and the addition/upgrade of nine departure gates at the newly reconstructed Boarding Area B. This early phase also included the demolition of the old TWA hangar, the demolition of the two rotundas, and the relocation of two taxiways.
- Phase 2: Completed in May 2021, this phase included a connector to the International Terminal and seven departure gates. It also added permanent space for the SFO Museum exhibits, which is part of 25 galleries throughout the terminals displaying a rotating schedule of art, history, science, and cultural exhibitions.
- Phase 3: Completed in June 2024, the final phase included a north check-in lobby, a mezzanine-level security checkpoint, two additional aircraft gates, and a connecting walkway that links all SFO terminals post-security. It also added a Federal Inspection Services (FIS) connector to the existing customs facilities in the International Terminal, effectively adding six new gates that can handle international arrivals.
As the fully completed terminal opened its doors, Ivar Satero, airport director at SFO, was delighted with the completed project:
“Harvey Milk Terminal 1 represents a new benchmark for airport experience at SFO and indeed anywhere in the country. The facility was designed to be extraordinary in every way… a place of ease and relaxation, a place of sustainable design and operation, a place of inspiring artwork and museum exhibits, and a place to share the story of pioneering civil rights leader Harvey Milk. We are truly proud of creating something that will serve our region for decades to come.”
Photo: SFO
The airlines at Harvey Milk Terminal 1
As the upgrade phases were completed, the airlines began moving into their new spaces. First were Southwest Airlines and JetBlue with the completion of phase one in June 2019, followed by American Airlines (along with a new Admirals Club) in mid-2020.
|
Airline |
Destinations from SFO |
Lounge |
|
Alaska Airlines |
36 |
Alaska Lounge |
|
American Airlines |
8 |
Admirals Club |
|
Delta Air Lines |
10 |
Sky Club |
|
Hawaiian Airlines |
2 |
(Alaska Lounge) |
|
JetBlue Airways |
3 |
– |
|
Porter Airlines |
1 |
– |
|
Southwest Airlines |
9 |
– |
In June of last year, Alaska Airlines moved in to be closer to oneworld partner American Airlines, opening a new Alaska Lounge, to be followed by Hawaiian Airlines as part of its merger with Alaska. Finally, Delta Air Lines moved its check-in counters to Terminal 1 in October 2024.
Related
In Photos: Alaska Airlines Unveils Elegant New Lounge At San Francisco International Airport
The spacious lounge opens as Alaska Airlines completes its move to the refurbished Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at SFO.
Why is Harvey Milk Terminal 1 a game-changer?
The renewed Harvey Milk Terminal 1 has been called a game-changer by many experts. It certainly has accumulated numerous accolades, awards, and accreditations in the past few years, and it stands out from its peers in the following areas:
Honoring a civil rights leader
The US has a long history of naming airport facilities after civil rights activists: Thurgood Marshall in Baltimore, Frederick Douglass in Rochester, and Medgar Evers in Jackson are a few that come to mind. But adopting the name of Harvey Milk Terminal 1 was groundbreaking in that it was the first time anywhere that an LGBTQ civil rights leader had been honored in the same way.
Photo: SFO
But SFO has done more than just paying lip service with a name. SFO Museum’s exhibition Harvey Milk: Messenger of Hope chronicles the life of the visionary leader and seminal figure of the LGBTQ rights movement. Located pre-security on the Departures Level, the exhibition focuses primarily on Milk’s politically active years during the 1970s. What’s more, it is a community-led effort, as given Milk’s impact across San Francisco communities, much of the materials were sourced via crowdsourcing and public contributions.
Photo: SFO
World-class environmental credentials
Harvey Milk Terminal 1 has been lauded for its environmental credentials and game-changing approaches to creating a sustainable airport environment. It is the first airport terminal in the world to earn LEED Platinum certification for leadership in energy and environmental design. This leadership is evident across the facility. The terminal consumes 60% less energy compared to similar facilities around the US and features a range of innovative features like self-energizing elevators, energy-efficient escalators, and radiant ceilings for heating and cooling, allowing for a smaller and extremely efficient displacement ventilation system.
Photo: SFO
The facility has a one-megawatt solar panel array on its roof, providing sufficient energy to power the equivalent of 2,000 homes. This increased sustainable energy is combined with decreased demand. The two systems that are the highest energy users in the building – the heating/cooling system and the baggage handling system – are built with new technologies and sustainable design measures so that they consume less than half the energy of the systems they replace, despite being more than 50% larger.
Photo: SFO
Spend time in the terminal, and even the less-obvious environmental considerations become apparent. Single-use water bottles have been removed, and replaced by water-filling stations that broadcast water quality data, increasing visitor trust in the hydration points and eliminating more than 10,000 plastic bottles eliminated every day. Even the gates have been fitted out with up to 10 new vehicle charging stations in anticipation of the airport moving to an all-electric ground fleet.
Photo: SFO
Innovative use of technology
The game-changer that passengers will likely appreciate most is the use of innovative technologies to enhance their experience at the airport. Maybe it is something as simple as the terminal having the fastest free airport Wi-Fi in the world, but there is so much more that is going to revolutionize their journey:
- Self-service check-ins: The terminal’s spacious lobby is equipped with self-service check-in kiosks and touchless features that allow passengers to use their phone to check in to their flight, print a bag tag, and drop off their bags. No more crowded desks and snaking long lines, and check-in times have been reduced to mere minutes.
- Revolutions baggage carrier system: The terminal utilizes a new independent carrier system (ICS) for baggage, where items remain in a single transport tote from drop-off to cargo load-in, effectively eliminating lost bags or baggage delays. If that doesn’t provide you with increased travel comfort, consider this: The ICS has also reduced system time for arrival bags to below five minutes, eliminating crowded baggage claim halls and allowing you to seamlessly depart the airport for your final destination.
- Automated security lanes: The other big time-consumer and source of frustration at airports is security. But at Harvey Milk Terminal 1, new automated security lanes use built-in, touchless consolidation bins that are 25% larger (so everything goes in one bin), eliminating that awkward scramble and the inevitable delays when passing items through the X-ray. Security is enhanced along with improved efficiency, allowing you to get through security 40% faster.
Designed for health and wellbeing
The architectural design, environmental credentials, and innovative technology combine to create a terminal that is a world leader in passenger experience. Unsurprisingly, it is the first airport terminal in the world to earn WELL Platinum certification for measuring, certifying, and monitoring building features that impact human health and well-being. It is also the first terminal in the world to achieve FitWel certification, which measures how well a building supports human health and well-being.
Photo: SFO
These well-being touches are evident across the terminal. State-of-the-art air filtration systems optimize indoor air quality, bringing in fresh outdoor air and reducing indoor pollutants. Noise-reducing materials have been used throughout, to maximize acoustic comfort and create a tranquil environment. Keeping with the tranquil theme, overhead announcements are eliminated, and ‘dynamic dashboard’ signage greets passengers throughout the terminal to guide and inform them and reduce confusion.
Photo: SFO
For me personally, as someone who has to connect through SFO many times a year when visiting Bay Area clients, two big well-being features vastly improve the experience at Harvey Milk Terminal 1. The first is the airside connector, allowing you to move between any of the four terminals without having to exit through security. The second is the comforts to be found in the many convenient lounges, including The Club SFO, the airport’s newest lounge. Be sure to check out Simple Flying’s guide to the nearly 20 lounges at SFO before you make your next trip there.
