On October 20, eight people holding golden shovels lined up behind a pile of dirt at Palm Springs International Airport. A yellow excavator sat behind them. The groundbreaking started a $93.6 million outbound baggage handling system, the largest current project at an airport that the Sunmor Neighborhood Organization lists as the neighborhood's eastern border, along with City Hall. Farrell Drive marks the west side, with East Tamarisk to the north and Andreas Road to the south.
That project is planned to stay out of sight from now until its late-2028 finish. For anyone in Sunmor who flies out of PSP or meets winter guests there, the changes you'll actually feel this season are in the flight schedule and at the curb.
The project behind the ticket counter
The numbers in PSP's groundbreaking announcement explain why the airport is spending this money. The current system handles about 440 bags an hour. At peak times, demand reaches 920 bags an hour, more than twice that. The new system is built for about 1,300 bags an hour and adds roughly 10,000 square feet of space and new screening technology.
Interim Executive Director Victoria Carpenter described the system in the same release:
"Most passengers never see what happens to their luggage after check-in, but our baggage handling system is essential to keeping the airport moving."
The airport plans to keep it that way during construction. PSP says baggage screening will move to a temporary facility while the permanent system is built, so that normal operations continue and passengers see as little disruption as possible. Completion is expected in late 2028. As of the September Airport Commission meeting, temporary buildings were going in and crews were pouring concrete pads and relocating utilities, according to Greater Palm Springs Business Insider.
Federal programs cover more than $66.5 million, over 70% of the cost. Passenger facility charges pay about $14.4 million and airport funds about $12.6 million. The airport says no local taxpayer dollars are being used. AECOM designed the project, Swinerton Builders is the general contractor, and Mead & Hunt is handling construction management. Construction updates are posted at ProgressPSP.com.
The schedule is what changes this winter
The real change for Sunmor this season is when routes come back. In its September seasonal service announcement, PSP said several routes are returning weeks or months earlier than last season. Alaska's Santa Rosa nonstop led the way on September 10, more than six weeks earlier than in 2025. It flies every day except Tuesday and Wednesday through April 25, 2027, on a 76-seat Embraer 175.
As of this week, these routes are still to come or just restarted:
| Date | Destination | Airline | Compared with last season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 1 | New York JFK and Everett, Wash. | Alaska | Returned |
| Nov. 9 | Atlanta, Austin and Seattle | Delta | Returning |
| Nov. 20 | Boise | Alaska | 49 days earlier |
| Nov. 21 | Austin | Southwest | 106 days earlier |
| Dec. 3 | Washington Dulles | United | Returning |
| Dec. 17 | Newark | United | Returning |
| Feb. 13, 2027 | Charlotte; Chicago Midway | American; Southwest | Returning |
The specific dates come from Business Insider's September 21 report. PSP's own release lists the Delta returns only as "November," so check the exact day with the airline before you book around it. Southwest's Austin route moving up 106 days is the biggest shift on the list. It means two carriers fly to Austin before Thanksgiving, where last season Southwest's service didn't start until well into the new year.
Flat seat totals, moved to new routes
The early returns matter because overall capacity isn't growing. Business Insider reported that scheduled seats for October through December 2026 are about 0.8% below the same period in 2025. October is down 4.5% and November down 3.5%, but December is up 4.5% as holiday and peak-season demand picks up.
Airlines are shifting seats between routes, not adding them. Airport data list San Francisco as the largest fourth-quarter growth market, with 11,276 more seats than last year. Phoenix adds 9,868, Austin 9,428, Houston 6,900 and Boise 5,016. Austin, Houston and Boise are also among the routes coming back early. On those routes, the earlier start dates and the extra seats are the same change.
Passenger traffic fits the same picture. PSP handled 2.21 million passengers from January through August 2026. That's about 3% behind last year's record pace but still the second-highest January-to-August total of the past six years. The activity report in the October 21 Airport Commission packet counts 144,931 passengers in September 2026, down 5.1% from 152,773 in September 2025. Traffic is holding near post-pandemic highs, and December is when the seat count turns positive.
The changes you'll see at the curb and in the lots
The baggage system stays hidden, but a few smaller projects are in the areas Sunmor drivers use. Here's their status in the October 21 commission packet:
- Bono Concourse escalators. Both new units were installed but still awaiting final state inspection and commissioning, with completion expected in October.
- Rideshare shade structures. The pre-installation walk took place in late September. Delivery is expected in November, with installation planned for the fourth quarter of 2026.
- Parking access and revenue system. In October, crews were horizontal drilling across the lots and installing fiber, with completion expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. PSP's smart parking project page still shows 2027 and lists the planned features: license-plate recognition, mobile payments and real-time space tracking.
Until the new system goes live, the parking and transportation page lists the current rules. Parking costs $9 an hour, with a $26 daily maximum in the main lot across from the terminal and an $18 maximum in overflow. The main lot accepts cash, credit or tap-to-pay, and overflow takes credit or tap-to-pay. Overflow parking opens at peak times with a free shuttle, and Lot B has 80 Level 2 EV charging spaces, first come, first served. Rideshare drop-offs are at the curb in front of the terminal. Pickups are at the south end of the terminal in the commercial lane, where the shade structures will go.
The packet also lists a Parking Management Services Agreement for the City Council on November 23. It doesn't say whether the agreement changes anything drivers will see. At the September meeting, airport staff said they were adding volunteer Navigator staffing, coordinating airline schedules with TSA, adding baggage support and refreshing airfield and landside markings before the peak months.
November 20 and 21 on Sunmor's side of the fence
November 20 and 21 are the weekend when the Boise and Austin flights restart, and two dates on the neighborhood calendar fall close by. The City of Palm Springs announced a drone art show at Sunrise Park on both nights. Hundreds of lighted drones will fly in time with live string music in an open-air program of about 65 minutes, and tickets are sold through the link in the city's notice.
Before that, the Sunmor Neighborhood Organization's next board meeting is Saturday, November 14, from 10 a.m. to noon, at a board member's home or on Zoom. The annual meeting is still listed as TBA. The organization's events page describes monthly Wine & Cheese gatherings during the season, hosted at residents' homes from 5 to 7 p.m. Dates and locations go out by board email.
Those dates are a good time to plan winter visitors, too. Alaska's Boise flight lands on the first night of the drone show, and Southwest's Austin flight on the second.
If you're wondering how your Sunmor home fits into the months when those flights are running, Sarah Pearce and James can walk you through it on your schedule, starting with a Free Home Valuation.
