Expansion, renovation set at Atlanta airport

ATLANTA (AP) Officials in Atlanta are laying the groundwork for an expansion of the world's busiest airport.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will start work soon on a $6 billion expansion and renovation project. Mayor Kasim Reed and others will release details Thursday.

Workers will update the domestic passenger terminal and concourses in Atlanta. The airport is also adding a sixth runway and a hotel.

Work begins on concourse renovations later this year after the busy summer travel season. The project accelerates next year with work on new parking decks, new passenger gates and the terminal renovation.

Airport executive Frank Rucker says keeping the airport operating normally will be a complicated part of the project.

The Atlanta airport handled 101.5 million passengers last year, more than another other U.S. airport.