Taking flight: New Temple airport terminal will be more than twice the size of existing facility

A workman walks in front of the airport terminal under construction in Temple on Friday.
Nan Dickson/Special to the Telegram

Killeen Daily Herald
BY DAVID STONE | SPECIAL TO THE TELEGRAM
March 21, 2023

A new $7 million terminal at Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport in Temple is expected to be completed by the end of July, and it likely will be operational by early fall.

“We’re getting really excited,” Airport Director Sean Parker said. “The structure is up, and they are putting up the brick and stone. It’s going to be a white brick building with stone ledges and the top part will be a matching stucco.”

The new terminal is more than double the size of the current facility, Parker said.

“Our current terminal is about 3,000 square feet,” he said. “The new facility will increase space to just over 6,000 square feet. About half will be used as offices, and the other half will be for passengers and pilots.”

While the airport does not offer commercial airline service, corporate business is booming as more and more industries are relocating to the Temple area.

“We have a lot of business executives flying in to meet with the Temple Economic Development Corporation or to tend to business at existing companies,” Parker said. “We’ve outgrown our terminal, and we need to present a nice professional atmosphere to corporate executives.

“In many cases, we are the front door step to the Temple community,” he said. “We intend to hire customer service agents to help us exceed expectations. We are gearing up for the future.”

The new airport terminal will include a large conference room equipped with technology for speakers and presentations, an expanded passenger lounge, a small food area and small rooms where pilots can check weather, fix a bite to eat, take a shower and rest their eyes while they wait for executives to return for the flight home.

“We are waiting until closer to our opening, then we will be taking bids for our food area,” Parker said. “It’s won’t be huge — just enough space for a single vendor to operate a mini-market that sells snacks and microwavable meals. Right now we just have vending machines.”

Parker is hoping a second dining option may be in the airport’s future. The current terminal, part of it was constructed in the 1960s, is still in good condition and may see a second life as a car rental agency and a diner.

“We’re going to reach out to multiple agencies about renting part of the existing terminal,” he said. “I would like to get a restaurant or cafe in there. It would be a fun place to eat and watch the airplanes take off and land.”