CCIA cellphone lot gives drivers a place to wait for passenger pickup
A cellphone lot opens July 1 at the Corpus Christi International Airport, providing a place to wait comfortably for arriving passengers. Once passengers have baggage in hand, they can call their ride. The lot is only seconds away from passenger pickup, eliminating the need to drive around the airport waiting for a plane to land and unload.
“Customers have been asking for this,” Director of Aviation Kevin Smith said. “And even though a long-term, more permanent solution will come later, this will at least give visitors an option for the summer months, which right now look to be very busy.”
The airport plans to build an even bigger cellphone lot in the next few years, Smith said.
”This is phase one of our cellphone lot plan,” he said.
As of July 1, drivers heading toward the terminal on International Drive will see a blue sign on the left near the parking plaza building. That’s where to park and wait.
Once a call is received to pick up a passenger, drivers head north for a couple hundred yards and take a U-turn back to the terminal. If the cellphone lot is full, drivers can still park in the short-term parking lot for free for the first 20 minutes.
More improvements to parking will be announced later this month. The airport recently installed “pay on foot” machines in baggage claim and curbside to help speed up the process of getting out of the airport after arrival. The new system should be up and running later this month. For current parking terms and fees, check out the airport website.
