First Flight Out Monday at New Texarkana Airport Terminal

It's been a long time coming, but Texarkana has a new state-of-the-art airport terminal, the Jim E. Yates Terminal located just off East 19th Street.

Jim E. Yates Terminal

The $49 million terminal has been in the works for 20 years a lot of hard work and planning with local, state, and federal officials has brought this project to fruition.

The new 40,000-square-foot passenger terminal resembles a lodge look and feel with its tall picturesque windows, wood beams, stone facade, and natural earth tones making it something Texarkana should be proud of for years to come.

Passengers will love a larger baggage claim area and a beautiful terminal seating area with super-sized windows that look out over the airport field.

The airport will also have enclosed passenger boarding bridges there's even more room for concessions and expansion if needed.

One of the highlight features of the terminal is the custom-made lighting fixture that hangs from the ceiling in the main part of the building, according to the Texarkana Gazette.

There is still a lot of landscaping that will continue outdoors surrounding the 300+ parking lot with trees being planted, shrubs, and other enhancements that will modify the airport terminal.

I took the self-guided tour on Thursday evening (6/27) during an open house where guests were treated to free refreshments from Lost Pizza Co. and Local Habit Coffee of Texarkana. I have to say, I came away very impressed it's something Texarkana has needed for a long time.

Getting Nostalgic

I did find myself getting a little nostalgic about the old terminal because if you grew up in Texarkana like I did you probably remember as a kid going to the airport to watch the planes come in and eating at the airport restaurant. I flew out of there many times over the years and said goodbye to a lot of friends and family.

New Airport Check-in

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held today with the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce (6/28) to officially open the airport where guests were treated to a free lunch from Big Jakes BBQ and refreshments compliments of Local Habit Coffee of Texarkana.

The new Jim E. Yates Terminal has been named after EZ Mart founder Jim Yates who served on the Arkansas Aviation Aerospace Commission before he died in 1998.

American Airlines is the only airline at the moment but officials are hoping to bring in more if the new terminal exceeds expectations. The first flight is scheduled for Monday. July 1, just in time for the 4th of July holiday.

See more of the new airport terminal via the Texarkana Gazette.