Tulsa International Airport plans to build a $30 million dollar addition to accommodate screening for international arrivals.

The new concourse, with one gate for now, will be added to the “A” side of the airport, so passengers can disembark into a Customs and Border Protection area with their bags, before going beyond the secure side of the airport.

The concourse and inspection facility will allow airlines to offer direct service into Tulsa from international destinations.

“Our largest international destination is Cancun” said Andrew Pierini, the Vice President at TIA. “We typically see 45 - 50 passengers a day to Cancun and in the summer that jumps up to 70-80 passengers a day".

He said Los Cabos, Mexico was the second most popular international flight destination.

He speculated airlines would start direct flights on a limited schedule, instead of daily, to start.

The federal government is covering half the cost, with the rest from airline and passengers fees collected by the airport.

TIA’s international traffic is almost exclusively cargo flights and maintenance flights for American Airlines.

Some private flights arrive and passengers can be screened outside of the regular passenger terminal.

An outdated Customs and Border Protection building at the airport will be replaced as part of the project.

Construction will start next month.

Pierini said airport officials believe there is substantial ground travel to Mexico City that could also support a direct flight inland, instead of just resorts on the Mexican coast.

Regardless, he said, now TIA will have a new advantage when soliciting service.”It gives us the ability to go and talk with the airlines about serving an international flight from Tulsa. It's something we just haven't had the ability to do.”