DAYTON — The new parking garage that opens today, July 29, at Dayton International Airport is something customers said they wanted and helps boost the airport’s ability to compete for travelers.

The $35 million structure, just steps from the terminal’s doors, is the first parking garage the Dayton airport has ever had.

Passengers asked for the garage through customer surveys.

The airport competes with three others within a 90-minute drive for travelers.

Dayton’s average domestic fare of $314.12 for the first three months of this year was cheaper than Greater Cincinnati’s $404.29, but more expensive than those of Columbus ($299.05) or Indianapolis ($298.86), the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported Wednesday.

The garage is among the first major projects at the airport to open from among $156 million in new construction begun in recent years. By the end of this year, airport officials expect:

• The Federal Aviation Administration to put its new air traffic control tower at Dayton International into operation.

• Completion of a renovation of the terminal’s ticketing lobby, including relocating baggage screening machines from the ticketing lobby to behind the wall and adding two lanes to the four security checkpoint lanes.

• Completed installation of new video security equipment in the terminal.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.