Welcome to Phase I of the Inland Empire Transit Center! (IATA: IEX) Located about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, CA USA, IEX serves general aviation, regional, and international flights of all classes.
As you approach the airport, to the southeast lies runway 09R-27L, a small asphalt runway serving general aviation traffic via 15 small concrete stands with access to AVGAS refueling services provided by dual Maverick fuel trucks.
IEX uses an efficient traffic loop design. Incoming traffic heads east with access to bus, taxi, and car drop-off areas, with short- and long-term parking available. Subway stops conveniently rout passengers near the main entrance. A two-way road through the center of the loop allows cars to make repeated passes in case they miss their pickups or couldn’t find parking the first time around. Lots, walkways, and crosswalks are well-lit so that passengers always feel safe.
Once you arrive, you enter the non-secure check-in lounge via the foyer featuring the IEX logo.
The check-in lounge provides 48 check-in desks, a comfortable central waiting area with info screens, shopping and dining opportunities, and luxurious restrooms. Adjoining staff rooms ensure that passenger service agents are out of the way without ever being far away.
A closer look at the check-in desks and marble walkways.
Once checked in, head upstairs, where you can proceed through security via our Sky Bridge! As you enter the secure area, you get your first look at the airside activities through our panorama windows (to be installed in Phase II…). This area also features a staff-only security area and newly constructed (if unfurnished) staff room for security personnel.
Our departures concourse is comprised of two wings - East (Phase I) and West (Phase II). Here’s a look at the east concourse.
As mentioned before, IEX serves all aircraft and flight classes, from Cessna 208 Caravans to CRJ200s, from A320s and B737s to mammoth B787 Dreamliners, and most recently, A380s. The doublewide concourse features departures lounges at each medium and large concrete stand equipped with jetways. Each large gate provides ramp agents and passenger service agents with their own staff areas with immediate access to the ramp and boarding desks. A spacious walkway adorned with large plants ensures your comfort even when the airport is busy (because you play with your passenger ratio set to 100%). We also provide spacious restrooms and last-minute shopping and dining.
Why the doublewide concourse? Head down one of our escalators to find out!
Back down at L-0 you will find access to your small commercial stands, more restrooms and dining, as well as service vehicle parking beneath each medium/large gate. The staff area to the north of the small gates serves as a shortcut for staff to quickly move throughout.
Another look at the sub-concourse service vehicle parking. Each stand has the relevant service vehicles parked nearby for a quick and delay-free turnaround.
Arriving passengers can avoid the crowds by heading up their own escalators immediately upon disembarking.
At L-2 you will find the arrivals hall featuring more restrooms and a clean, calm, direct route to baggage claim.
On your walk you will pass back over the security area via the Sky Bridge. (More windows in Phase II will allow one last peak at the airside area!)
Back at baggage claim you will find more seating and luxuriously adorned baggage carousels featuring info screens to help passengers find their bags fast. (I think @twocflyer designed these). Baggage claim also connects directly to the check-in area for access to restrooms or shopping, if desired. Ramp agents can also access baggage bays from here.
Here’s an overview of our plan. Parallel to our GA runway 09R-27L is large runway 09L-27R, which serves exclusively large aircraft (A gates) embarking from concourse East and West. We also have two medium runways: 18R-27L serving small (C gates) and medium (B gates) flights embarking from concourse West, and 18L-27R serving small (C gates) and medium (B gates) flights embarking from concourse East. 18R-27L and 18L-27R both feature high-speed exits for small aircraft to help keep the runways clear, minimizing go-arounds and delays. (Note: IEX does not offer deicing services due to the rarity of freezing temperatures in the Inland Empire.)
Phase II (concourse West) is next!
We hope you enjoyed this tour! Feedback/comments welcome - ESPECIALLY if I’ve used any of your designs here - please let me know so I can give credit where due. Thanks!
are you from the IE?
I’m just so sick of giant walls of security haha