80% TStorms
President and Secretary Clinton and city and state dignitaries will celebrate the airport's renaming at the ceremony, to be held at the airport. The event will also celebrate the completion of the airport's $67 million Phase I improvement project, which redesigned the ticketing lobby and baggage screening area.
The ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 3 in front of the airport, and will be free and open to the public, although tickets will be limited.
This Phase I construction is part of a larger Vision 2020 plan to make Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport an international airport in the coming years.
"Hillary and I are so honored to have Little Rock National Airport named in our honor," said President Bill Clinton. "We are excited that the first phase of renovation is complete, and look forward to seeing all of the airport's improvements in May."
"We are thrilled to announce the near completion of this first phase of capital improvements at the airport," said Kay Kelley Arnold, chairman of Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission. "The new ticketing lobby allows for large, open spaces that provide visitors with more room to explore the airport. And our new state-of-the-art baggage system is now 'behind the scenes' out of passenger areas and features high-tech screening capabilities.
"And what better way to celebrate the largest construction project in our history then to have our state's own Bill and Hillary Clinton join us for a special dedication ceremony. We are thankful for the Clintons for allowing us to honor their contributions to Arkansas by renaming the airport after them. We are looking forward to showing them around our new facility and unveiling an all-new entrance to the airport."
In March 2012, the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission voted unanimously to rename Little Rock National Airport in honor of Bill and Hillary Clinton. The Commission cited the many contributions President Clinton and Secretary Clinton have made to Arkansas through more than three decades of service to the state and nation as its reason to rename the airport. The Little Rock airport is the first airport in the country to be named after a President and First Lady. In addition, Secretary Clinton served as the Airport Commission's Attorney during the 1980s.
These latest renovations at the airport, which include a new entrance sign with the new Clinton National name, are just the beginning of major changes to the airport that will designate the airport as an international airport. Phase 2 improvements include construction of a new terminal commons, a new 16-gate concourse, new baggage claim area, international arrival facility, inbound roadway and parking improvements.
"We are extremely proud that these changes have been made without additional taxes or fees passed on to our passengers," said Ronald F. Mathieu, executive director of Bill and Hillary Clinton Airport. "And the many jobs that have come to fruition out of this is especially exciting. More than 90 percent of those workers employed on this construction project live in central Arkansas, and approximately 25 percent of firms working as contractors are designated as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs)."
Other improvements in Phase 1 include:
- Passenger screening checkpoint improvements
- New communication control center (including dispatc! h center,! etc.)
- Relocation of valet parking
- Concourse restroom renovations
- Administration renovations (to consolidate departments into a central area)
- Multi-user Flight Information Display System
- Energy-saving upgrades
- Airport entrance sign