by Michael Totten

Created on: December 17, 2011   Last Updated: December 18, 2011

San Francisco International Airport Terminal 2 reopened from its decade-long rehaul in April 2011. The result is a sleek, sophisticated facility with a spacious feel. Efficient, classic, and undeniably modern, SFO Terminal 2 has set the bar extremely high.

Terminal 2 handles all American Airlines and Virgin America domestic flights. With 14 shared gates capable of accommodating a Boeing 747-400, the new space wil be able to handle up to 5.5 million enplaned passengers per year. To minimize long waits, passengers and flight personnel go through separate checkpoints.

International flights have been moved to their own, separate terminal. Virgin and AA flights from international cities with customs preclearance use Terminal 2.

Design

The dark low ceilings of the 1950s have been replaced with soft curves, redwood paneling in the ticketing lobby, and soaring multilevel ceilings. Soft diffused light comes from recessed ceiling lights, supplementing plenty of natural light from rows of large windows. Customer-friendly ticketing counters are now hip-high, which also makes them wheelchair accessible. The washrooms are designed for easy, comfortable use by both the able-bodied and the handicapped.

The San Francisco International Airport also has an art exhibition program with 20 gallery display spaces throughout the airport, 27 dedicated full-time staff, and a budget of over $3 million. It is the only airport program in the United States to receive accreditation from the American Association of Museums. Art exhibits are rotated every 6 months, and include world-class art from both internationally known artists and top Bay Area artists. Cell phone accessible narration is available for each exhibit. A small permanent collection is also on display at the Aviation Museum.

Environmentalism

Terminal 2 SFO is the very first airport building in the United States to achieve Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The new terminal is built in the footprint of the previous building, with recycling of 90% of all demolition and construction waste. A substantial amount of the previous infrastructure was reused directly.

Innovations such as low energy lighting and air conditioning save energy and reduce operating costs. All local ticketing is paperless. Instead of water fountains, Terminal 2 features hydration stations, where passengers can refill their water bottles for free.

Facilities

In addition to the usual rows of benches and plenty of them, Terminal 2 also

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