-Palm Springs International Airport is launching a $2.2 billion expansion now that the Palm Springs City Council has approved a master plan for the project.

Palm Springs International Airport is trying up its game preserving its history.

The central terminal, designed by famed modernist architect Donald Wexler is included in the National Register of Historic Places.

"The airport was built for about 1.5 million passengers per year," airport spokesman Jake Ingrassia said.

Passenger traffic jumped to 3.2 million in 2023 and 2024, and it's expected to double to 6.4 million by 2042 as the region's population and tourism industry expand.

The airport master plan includes a slew of projects to accommodate the increased air traffic.

The number of gates would nearly double from 18 to 32, and the airport will gain a north concourse, expand its baggage claim, build a rental car area, and create a federal inspection station to accommodate the expansion of international routes.

Those upgrades would make up the first phase of construction, estimated at $754 million.

The second phase would add a south concourse, a rental car storage facility, and airfield improvements for a total of about $2.2 billion.

Ingrassia said the final cost will depend on the design.

State Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, who represents the Coachella Valley, said-- -Investing in transportation, as we know, is key to attracting new businesses, creating jobs, and supporting tourism, vital components of our local economy.

This plan reaffirms Palm Springs as a premier destination and strengthens our region's role as an economic hub.

-Air traffic at regional airports has taken a dive since the pandemic, as major airlines pull the smaller jets that often service those routes in favor of larger planes destined for urban airports.

Officials haven't determined how to pay for the Palm Springs airport expansion yet but could use private financing, federal grants, or bond funding.

For CalMatters, I'm Deborah Brennan.