Overview
- In early July SFO released a request for proposals that names Plot 42 on North Access Road as the site, sets a bidding window from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7, and aims to award a long-term ground lease by December with a possible opening in late 2028 after approvals and construction.
- The planned facility would provide separate private TSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection screening, a luxury lounge and car-to-plane valet transfers that ferry paying passengers across the tarmac to commercial flights.
- SFO’s bidder rules require at least two years operating a private terminal and $15 million in annual gross sales from that business, and the lease carries a 14-year term with a two-year option plus minimum annual revenue guarantees and a first-year floor of $1.5 million.
- Industry operators and global investors attended an informational hearing, signaling market interest, but some local travelers question the value given expected per-use prices of roughly $800–$1,800 or higher compared with programs such as TSA PreCheck.
- The move follows recent private-terminal rollouts at LAX, DFW, MIA and ATL and could change who gets faster airport access while still requiring TSA/CBP coordination, tarmac access approvals and local planning before it can operate.