Virgin America Grows Green: New SFO Home Will be First LEED® Gold Airport Terminal in the U.S.

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin America, the only airline headquartered at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), today joins SFO leadership and the architecture and interior firm Gensler, to unveil the sustainable design of the airline's new home at SFO's Terminal 2 (T2).  Slated for completion in spring 2011, the new $383 million 640,000-square foot T2 will serve as the airline's home base and will be the first LEED® Gold-certified airport terminal in the U.S. Known for its sustainable practices and inventive design, Virgin America informed the T2 design concept process from the earliest stages of development.  With the airline's investment in the space, it is anticipated that Virgin America's T2 spaces will ultimately achieve the highest possible LEED Platinum-certified status.  

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Virgin America will occupy seven of 14 gates in T2.  The airline's rapid growth helped make SFO one of the nation's few growing airports from 2007 onwards.  Today, the carrier continues to fuel significant expansion, with its fleet projected to grow by two-thirds by the end of 2011 and to triple in size by 2016.  

"As a new carrier and as the only California-based airline, we've had an opportunity to build sustainable practices into our operations from day one.  We've also utilized the latest in design to enhance the traveler experience – and we hope, elevate the journey beyond just getting from Point A to Point B," said David Cush, CEO and President of Virgin America.  "As we grow, we're proud to partner with SFO and the City to create a new home that embodies these same principles – and in a very real sense the innovative, environmentally-focused spirit of the Bay Area.  T2 will not only elevate the travel experience, it will serve as a model for sustainable airport design around the world."

Green Design:  T2's sustainable build and design features

• Some of T2's sustainable design elements include the vast utilization of natural light, modern ventilation systems that require 20 percent less energy and a reclaimed water reuse program;  
• 'Hydration Stations' will allow flyers to fill reusable water bottles once past security, reducing the volume of waste created by single-use water bottles;
• Local food:  The first airport dining program in the country to recruit Slow Food® vendors –T2 will feature organic food vendors, offering wholesome food grown locally and prepared in a healthful manner;
• Completing a Multi-Modal Hub:  T2 will connect to the Bay Area Regional Transportation System (BART), so that employees and travelers alike can easily travel from airport to city on mass transit;
• Abundant natural light:  Skylights and clerestories bring daylight into the ticketing lobby and retail areas, providing a healthier work environment, while significantly reducing electricity usage in the day;
• Contractors recycled 90 percent of construction and demolition debris from the T2 project.  SFO requires ongoing source separation of all recyclable solid waste to enable the attainment of 75 percent recycling by 2010 and 90 percent recycling by 2020;
• Preferential parking for hybrid cars.

"The new T2 demonstrates that sustainability is achievable on many levels – from reusing construction debris to rethinking water usage to public education," said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.  "Renovating SFO's T2 toward LEED Gold brought all of this together.  It is an incredible achievement, and we are proud, once again, to be taking the lead on sustainable innovation."

Like the San Francisco-based airline that will call it home, T2 will offer travelers high-end design, a host of high-tech amenities and the best in entertainment and dining.

Elevating the Travel Experience:  Uniquely "Virgin" features in the airline's T2 space

• "Mood-lit" LED ticket counters that mirror the airline's distinctive cabin moodlighting, which transitions based on outside light;
• Gates designed with beautiful "living room" like spaces;
• Upscale "Slow Food" concessions with a focus on locally-produced menus;  
• Common spaces that allow travelers to shop, relax, work, eat and play within visual sight of their gate;
• In line with the airline's signature cabin music, moodlighting, seating and design, T2's Recomposure Zone will create a stress-reducing oasis for travelers and feature a hanging art installation entitled "Air Ocean" by Janet Echelman;
• Laptop plug-in stations, elevated work counters and free wireless throughout;
• A baggage claim area with illuminated soffits inspired by San Francisco's distinctive cloud patterns.  The area is described by designers as a hybrid piece of "kinetic art," exposing how the device delivers bags to travelers, while also efficiently distributing conditioned air.

Since its 2007 launch, Virgin America has created 1,700 new jobs, welcomed more than ten million guests and has swept the major reader-based travel awards, including being voted "Best Domestic Airline" in Conde Nast Traveler's 2008, 2009 and 2010 Readers' Choice Awards and Travel + Leisure's 2008, 2009 and 2010 World's Best Awards.  As the only California-based airline, Virgin America's goal from its 2007 launch has been to build an airline from the ground up that makes environmentally-sustainable practices part and parcel of its business model, right down to the use of organic hand-soap in the lavatories.  The airline operates a fleet that is up to 25% more fuel and carbon efficient than the average fleet flying domestically – and from its launch, has employed progressive practices and training, such as single engine taxiing, utilizing advanced avionics to fly more efficiently, and cost index flying.  Virgin America was the first airline to list its carbon footprint according to globally-accepted standards via The Climate Registry and the first to offer guests the ability to offset the carbon footprint of their flight at 35,000 feet.  The airline is a sponsor of California State Parks Foundation restoration projects and a member of Ceres, a leading coalition of investors, environmental groups and public interest organizations focused on sustainability challenges.  Virgin America is proud to be affiliated with the Virgin Group, which has committed to reinvesting all profits from Virgin-transport related businesses into renewable fuels research.  

About Virgin America: Headquartered in California and launched in August 2007, Virgin America offers guests attractive fares and a host of innovative features aimed at reinventing air travel, including in-flight internet service on every flight and the most advanced touch-screen entertainment platform in the skies. The airline's base of operations is San Francisco International Airport. In just three years flying, Virgin America has created 1,700 new jobs and has swept the major reader-based travel awards, including "Best Domestic Airline" in the Conde Nast Traveler 2008, 2009 and 2010 Readers' Choice Awards and "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel + Leisure's 2008, 2009 and 2010 World's Best Awards.  For photos and more, visit: www.virginamerica.com

SOURCE Virgin America