Calgary airport's damaged Concourse B moves to rebuilding phase, set to reopen in 2027

Two years and three weeks after a severe hailstorm battered Calgary Airport's Concourse B, the next phase of work to rebuild the domestic terminal is now underway.

On August 5, 2024, a 30-minute torrential hailstorm became the second-costliest natural disaster in Canadian history from an insurance perspective. The storm cracked the concourse's roofing structure and filled the space "almost like a swimming pool," damaging drywall, insulation, roofing material and ceiling tiles. Calgary Airports chief operating officer Chris Miles said the concourse was "beyond operational salvage from a passenger point of view" and had to be stripped down to the studs.

Phase 2 will focus on building out the concourse and preparing it for reopening to the public in 2027. The restored space will feature a mix of gate seating with relaxation areas, upgraded washrooms, and biometric security provisions for faster passenger processing. Miles said the improvements ensure modern building codes and accessibility standards are met. "You'll see biometric provisions where we're able to actually use the latest and greatest technology that will even make the journey smoother and faster for passengers," he said.

The airport is also replacing all 750,000 square feet of its roof — the largest single roofing project in North America, according to the authority. The new roofing uses a thicker, highly reflective membrane designed to be more durable against Calgary's weather and reduce solar heat absorption. Concourse A is complete, Concourse B is done, and about 25 to 30 per cent of the domestic roofing structure is finished. The full roof replacement will take two to three more years to complete.

The original Concourse B terminal structure, built in 1976, formerly served as a multi-purpose space housing gates for international travel and transborder U.S. flights. After those functions relocated to the new international terminal in 2016, the physical space remained largely unchanged until the hailstorm damaged it beyond repair.