Airport Check-in: Boston dedicates 9/11 memorial
— -- The Massachusetts Port Authority, which runs Boston Logan, dedicated the Boston Logan International Airport 9/11 Memorial last week, The Place of Remembrance.
Located on a 2.5-acre site near Terminal A, the memorial honors the passengers and crews of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, which departed Logan Airport for Los Angeles but were flown into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center. "The memorial also commemorates the dedication of the Logan Airport community and the contribution they made in restoring the aviation system to full operation," the Port Authority said in a statement.
The names of the 147 victims are inscribed in an 11-foot-tall glass sculpture at the center of the complex. The sculpture was designed by Moskow Linn Architects of Boston.
DETROIT
New terminal to open Wednesday
After three years of construction, Detroit Metro's North Terminal will make its debut Wednesday and serve 11 commercial airlines.
The $431 million terminal replaces the 50-year-old Smith Terminal. It contains two security checkpoints and 26 gates, including four that are connected to Customs. The airlines that will operate from the new terminal include Air Canada, American Airlines, AirTran, Frontier, Lufthansa, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Southwest, Spirit, United, US Airways, USA 3000 and charter airlines.
Northwest and its SkyTeam alliance partners — AeroMexico, Air France, Continental, Delta and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines — will remain in the McNamara Terminal.
The North Terminal will also have 44,000 square feet of concessions. Its lineup includes Champps Restaurant and Bar, Max & Erma's, T.G.I. Friday's, Ruby Tuesday, Borders, Brookstone and XpressSpa.
Parts of the Smith Terminal will be demolished immediately. But airport officials are hoping to rent the main check-in area and other parts of the terminal for film production. "We haven't had to market ourselves," says spokesman Scott Wintner, citing Michigan's recently introduced financial incentives aimed at recruiting filmmakers to the state. "The phone's been ringing off the hook (from film companies)."
CHICAGO O'HARE
556-room hotel opens its doors
InterContinental Hotels' latest property has opened at Chicago O'Hare. Located in the Rosemont neighborhood, about 2 miles from the airport, the 556-room hotel is the chain's second location in the Windy City.
InterContinental O'Hare is located across the street from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and features 53,000 square feet of meeting space. Guests can also check the real-time airport flight status and check in for their flights at the hotel.
MIAMI
Foster kids are stars of show
The newest art exhibit at Miami International hopes to aid in the cause of finding parents for foster children in Miami-Dade County.
The Miami Heart Gallery, a photo exhibit of 48 children eligible for adoption, will be on display until Oct. 22 at Terminal J's International Greeter's Lobby on the third floor. The portraits were taken by award-winning photographers, including Nigel Barker, one of the judges on America's Next Top Model, according to the airport.
More than 2,750 foster children in Florida and 500 in Miami-Dade are eligible for adoption, the airport says, citing state data. On average, 41% of those waiting for adoption in Florida remain on waiting lists for two years. The gallery has also put the photos online at miamiheartgallery.org.
Every Monday, we report on the latest news in airports across the USA. See something noteworthy in your travels? E-mail your suggestions to ryu@usatoday.com.