I-Team Investigation: PSP – Ready for Takeoff?

Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Palm Springs International Airport is investing tens of millions of dollars in improvements, from a new baggage-handling system to electric vehicle chargers and escalators. But one of the airport’s most anticipated projects remains without a firm timeline: a federal customs facility that could open the door to more nonstop international flights.

City leaders previously approved a long-range airport master plan that included a Federal Inspection Station, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers would process passengers arriving from countries without U.S. preclearance facilities.

While earlier public timelines pointed to 2028, the airport’s website still lists the project’s completion date as to be determined.

News Channel 3 I-Team investigator Peter Daut looked at what’s moving forward, and when Coachella Valley travelers might finally be able to fly nonstop to international destinations.

A gateway to the world?

For millions of travelers, Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) serves as a gateway to the Coachella Valley. But airport officials envision a future in which it could also become a gateway to more international destinations.

“More flights would be awesome, especially internationally,” said passenger Kalli Ross.

Currently, PSP’s only nonstop international flights connect Palm Springs with Canada, where passengers can clear U.S. Customs before departing for the United States.

Travelers hoping to fly nonstop from Palm Springs to Mexico or Europe, however, have no such option.

“I do a lot of international travel, so not having to slug everything to LA and all the traffic and everything is very exciting,” said passenger Brooke Salomon.

Asked whether she would take advantage of additional international flights from Palm Springs, Salomon responded, “Oh, 100 percent.”

During an exclusive tour of the airport, Interim Aviation Director Victoria Carpenter told News Channel 3 that plans for expanded international service are moving forward.

“I’m extremely excited. So this whole airport is excited about it as well,” Carpenter said.

Asked how close Palm Springs is to offering nonstop flights to Mexico or Europe, Carpenter said the airport is currently planning its international arrivals facility.

The proposed facility would accommodate U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers responsible for screening passengers arriving from countries that do not offer U.S. preclearance.

An airport-commissioned study estimates that hundreds of people travel between the Coachella Valley and destinations in Mexico or Europe every day, with much of that traffic passing through other airports.

Carpenter said Mexico is the most realistic destination for PSP’s initial expansion of international service.

“Probably the flights to Mexico. That’s probably the closest and most realistic,” she said. “We know we lose some traffic to other surrounding airports, so we think if we get some flights to Mexico, that will probably be the most realistic one we see for our future.”

Asked about potential destinations such as Mexico City, Cabo San Lucas or Puerto Vallarta, Carpenter said, “We hope all of the above, but we’re really just shooting for getting that on the map for us.”

International expansion faces delays

Before additional international flights can begin, the airport must overcome several significant hurdles, including construction costs, federal approvals, staffing and airline commitments.

One of the biggest questions is timing.

Airport officials previously hoped to have a customs facility operational before the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. That goal is no longer the target.

“Originally, we were very ambitious. We were trying to get the federal inspections facility here prior to the Olympics,” Carpenter explained. “We were really anticipating some traffic.”

But Carpenter said officials decided that additional planning would ultimately produce a better facility for passengers.

“We really don’t have a timeline on it, but we definitely want the community and our residents to know that we are planning for that now, and it’s going to happen in the future,” she said.

The project’s cost also remains uncertain.

Earlier estimates placed the price of a temporary customs facility at approximately $8 million. Carpenter said the airport does not yet have an updated cost estimate for the proposed facility.

Even if the infrastructure is built, there is another major question: Will airlines actually launch new international routes?

Carpenter confirmed that airport officials have been speaking with multiple airlines about potential service.

“We have had some discussions with some airlines. Actually, we’ve had more than one,” she said.

Although Carpenter described verbal expressions of interest from airlines, she said the details could not yet be disclosed.

No airline has publicly committed to launching a new international route from PSP.

The airport must also coordinate with federal officials on customs approval and staffing before international arrivals can begin.

Nearly $94 million baggage system overhaul

While the timeline for expanded international service remains uncertain, other major airport improvements are moving ahead.

Among the largest is a nearly $94 million modernization of PSP’s baggage-handling system.

The project is designed to improve security screening, increase baggage capacity and move checked luggage through the airport more efficiently.

More than $66 million in federal funding is supporting the overhaul, representing more than 70% of the project’s estimated cost.

The new system is expected to be completed in late 2028.

The improvements are intended to help the airport accommodate passenger demand while modernizing critical infrastructure.

New escalators and electric vehicle chargers

Passengers will also notice changes inside the airport’s Sonny Bono Concourse, where two new escalators are replacing aging equipment.

The installation has been completed, and airport officials are working through the final steps required before the escalators can open to passengers.

Outside the terminal, PSP has added 80 electric vehicle chargers in its parking lot.

The chargers provide another option for travelers who want to charge their vehicles while parked at the airport.

Together, the baggage improvements, escalator replacements and charging infrastructure reflect a more targeted approach to modernizing PSP.

That approach follows the airport’s decision to move away from a previously proposed $2.2 billion expansion.

Rather than pursuing that larger project, airport officials are focusing on individual improvements while continuing to plan for future growth.

Travelers want more nonstop options

For some passengers, however, the most meaningful improvement would be something PSP still cannot offer: nonstop service to additional international destinations.

“To go direct from here to Europe, overseas, whatever, would be a huge advantage rather than make a connection,” said passenger Jim Richardson.

Richardson said the convenience of avoiding multiple connections would make a significant difference.

“It’s hard enough to come here from Chicago when you have to stop in Phoenix or Dallas, let alone going to Europe and you have to make two stops or more,” he said.

While PSP is making substantial investments in its facilities, the airport’s international ambitions remain a work in progress.

Carpenter nevertheless expressed confidence that expanded service is getting closer.

“We’re closer than you think,” she said. “We’re really actively, aggressively pushing forward with our future plans for a federal inspections station. So we want to bring those international flights to Palm Springs as soon as we can.”

Who will pay for customs staffing?

Beyond construction, another significant expense would be the cost of staffing the proposed customs facility.

Earlier estimates placed that expense at nearly $2 million annually.

Carpenter told News Channel 3 that the funding would come from airport revenues.

She also said construction would not begin until airport officials have a plan in place with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

For now, the airport is moving forward with millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements while continuing to develop plans for expanded international service.

The baggage system has an anticipated completion date. The customs facility does not.

And until federal arrangements are finalized and airlines commit to new routes, travelers hoping to fly nonstop from Palm Springs to Mexico or Europe will have to wait.

For Palm Springs International Airport, major improvements are taking shape on the ground. But some of its biggest ambitions are still up in the air.

Peter Daut is an I-Team investigative reporter and anchor for News Channel 3.

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