Asheville Airport Unveils New Baggage Claim as Part of $400M Expansion

Travelers flying into Asheville Regional Airport will experience a fresh update to their journey as the airport unveils its newly renovated baggage claim area. This significant enhancement, beginning on Friday, April 17, marks a pivotal moment in the airport’s ongoing $400 million expansion project.

The refurbished facility introduces two state-of-the-art baggage carousels, now positioned just south of the former baggage claim sector. This modernized area also includes new restrooms and a dedicated Guest Services center, easily accessed via a covered outdoor walkway.

Lew Bleiweis, the president and CEO of the airport, emphasized the importance of this upgrade. “The bag claims that we have are much more efficient, faster and larger,” Bleiweis stated. “As we have more and larger airplanes coming in with our passengers, we needed to make sure that we had the capacity to handle it on the bag claim side.”

Felicia Sonmez

BPR News

A view of one of the baggage carousels and the new restrooms.

Currently, two carousels are operational, with a third expected to be available by summer 2027. This development is part of a broader initiative that has, over the past year, introduced a new ticket lobby, TSA security area, and a 136,000-square-foot North Concourse.

The airport recorded its second-busiest year in 2025, with 2,240,877 passengers passing through its gates. As travel to the area recovers following Hurricane Helene, additional parking spaces are being developed to accommodate the influx of visitors.

Airport representative Angi Daus highlighted that an expansion of the shuttle lot will provide more parking spaces come summer and fall. Another parking area has been established near a Sheetz gas station under construction on Airport Road.

“Most of it is open right now, and that was a couple hundred extra spots, so that’s great,” noted Daus. Future developments include the inauguration of a new rental car facility and the completion of a new air traffic control tower, with the entire expansion expected to conclude by late 2027.