Contact: Jeff Lea 314-426-8125 office
Public Relations Manager jrlea@flystl.com

April 28, 2011

For Immediate release:
 
 
Damage Assessments at Lambert in Full Force
Airport hopes to restore Concourse C pending damage assessments

(St. Louis) Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano toured Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Thursday following a devastating tornado that hit the Airport on April 22.

Her visit coincided with the first on-site survey of damage from federal and state emergency management teams
that are gathering facts on the overall impact of the storm in the St. Louis area. Concourse C, which served four
airlines, remains closed. The tornado blew out a majority of windows and caused extensive roof damage on that
concourse in addition to causing damage to airline gate areas, stores, restaurants and operational areas.
Terminal 1 also suffered extensive damage after windows were blown out of the three-story high domes that frame
the ticketing level.

“It really is very impressive that this airport got up and running so soon after the tornado hit,” said Napolitano. “Now
we’re all working together to make sure this Airport gets restored and we’re working with the neighborhoods
throughout the county, because when people lose their homes and their livelihoods, that’s such a big deal.”

Lambert is also working with its insurance teams to assess damage and determine the next steps to re-open the C
Concourse. All Concourse C airlines have been moved to other concourses and are back in operation.

“We hope we can repair and restore the C Concourse and our preliminary findings so far are promising,” said
Lambert Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge. The damage review process could take a week or more to
conclude, she said.

In other developments, the Airport is continuing with an extensive interior renovations that were underway in A and
C Concourses and Terminal 1. Lambert expects the Airport Experience improvements in Concourse C will be part
of the overall restoration of that concourse. Concourse improvements include new lighting, new flooring,
renovated restrooms and new art installations. Terminal improvements include an expanded checkpoint, new
restrooms, new ticket counters, new ticket level flooring and new signage.

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Lambert is the 30th busiest airport in the U.S. as ranked by Airports Council International‐North America. Lambert served more than 12.3 million passengers in 
2010.  Lambert‐St. Louis International Airport is an Enterprise Fund Department of the City of St. Louis. It is wholly supported by airport user charges. No general 
fund revenues are used for the operation, administration, promotion or maintenance of airport facilities. For more information on flights and services at Lambert‐
St. Louis International Airport, log onto www.flystl.com.