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Colorado Springs Airport (COS) is wrapping up a major concourse modernization project that will allow it to transport more customers on more flights—and make them more comfortable while they wait to board.
The $63 million ElevateCOS project began in 2023. The goal: Make travel easy by designing a more accessible, comfortable, and environmentally friendly concourse, and modernizing infrastructure on the front and back ends.
Though small—with just 12 gates—the COS concourse now feels more open, with wider gates and higher ceilings. Terrazzo flooring and new carpets are easier to roll bags, and large electrochromic windows tint automatically based on the ambient light, reducing the need for heating and cooling. A graded slope between security and the terminal makes it more accessible for people in wheelchairs or others with mobility challenges, including the county’s large population of disabled veterans. And new family restrooms, two family care rooms, and charging stations are much-needed additions for travelers.
“All of these upgrades are making the Colorado Springs airport more environmentally friendly and sustainable,” says spokesperson Amanda Rantis.
In July, the airport offered nonstop flights to 15 airports in 12 cities operated by four major airlines: American, Delta, Southwest, and United Airlines.
“It’s obviously not enough for us, and we want to continue adding,” says director of aviation Alex Kovacs. “I believe this airport has a tremendous opportunity to continue to develop and keep adding more service. It all comes down to demand.”
That could include international flights in the two-gate east building. In June 2025, Southwest Airlines launched the airport’s first international route, a weekly, seasonal service to Cancun, Mexico, but it was short-lived. Global Entry capability was added in January.
Retail additions were also part of ElevateCOS. Last year, the Lounge at Colorado Springs Airport opened as part of the Global Lounge Network; individual day passes start at $38. And, in April, local brewery Colorado Craft opened to travelers in the center of the terminal.
More is coming. ElevateCOS, including the addition of a small interior art gallery and outdoor sculptures, as it was originally envisioned, is completed. But some additional elements—a reimagined food court (including a concept from local chef Brother Luck), updated elevators, and new carpet and modernized ticket counters at check-in—are expected to be finished next summer.
Nearly half of the funding for ElevateCOS ($27.5 million) came from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; the rest was pulled from additional grants, passenger facility charges, and cash the airport had on hand. No taxpayer dollars were used.
While COS remains a significantly smaller venue than Denver International Airport, which has 172 gates and reaches 236 nonstop destinations, the regional airport has a significant $3.7 billion impact on the gross state product.
In 2022, COS leadership developed a 20-year master plan that called for, among other things, doubling the number of gates and adding parking. It estimated a $1.2 billion price tag, according to Kovacs.
“This [ElevateCOS] extends the amount of time we have to start adding gates and expanding the terminal footprint,” he says. “We’ve improved the look and feel and capacity of the terminal building. We’ve increased the efficiency of the airport. A lot more traffic can be accommodated here with the current infrastructure.”
Read More: The 5280 Guide to the Newer, Cooler Colorado Springs
Enjoy anything aviation-related? Colorado Springs is hosting the Pikes Peak Regional Airshow on September 19 and 20. General admission tickets are $53.20 for adults.
