An Extravagant Private Terminal Is Coming to Miami International Airport

Living in Miami has never been easy, but it's been a Sisyphean existence in recent years. Residents are coping with an increasingly volatile housing market, an economy that appears to be worsening, the gutting of social safety programs, and the slashing of national, state, and local arts funding. Still, a select few in Miami continue to fly high.

Miami International Airport recently announced it will open a luxurious private terminal next spring inside the former Pan American Airways headquarters at 4900 NW 36th St. The groundbreaking took place last month, on July 11.

PS MIA will be the fourth PS (formerly the Private Suite) location in the world. The private air travel company already has locations in three of the busiest global hubs: Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Paris. Miami will join that exclusive list next year, and construction is already underway for a PS terminal at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

"With the groundbreaking of PS MIA, we’re ushering in a new era of luxury travel at Miami International Airport — right here in the heart of Miami-Dade County," Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement. "This first-of-its-kind private terminal in Florida not only enhances the world-class experience our airport offers but also breathes new life into a historic landmark that shaped aviation history. I’m proud to welcome PS to our community and applaud their commitment to honoring our past while designing for the future."

PS launched in L.A. in 2017 as the first private terminal for commercial travel in the United States. "We offer a back door to your commercial aircraft, private TSA and Customs clearance, luxury spaces, and white-glove service before and after your flight," the company explains on its website.

In a statement announcing the new development, MIA said PS is taking great pains to preserve the historic Pan Am building's "iconic mid-century brutalist architecture," adding the new terminal "will seamlessly integrate finishes and furniture that reference important aspects of the period." The airport says signature features, "such as the Pan Am logos, gold paneling, and original reflecting pools will be restored." The Pan Am building has been a Miami-Dade County-designated Historic Site since 2014.

While the Pan Am building is historic, PS's plans for it are state-of-the-art. The company says terminal amenities will include "five private suites, two salons with dining options, a central outdoor courtyard, and a day spa with beauty treatments and massages."