Also delayed for more than a year are contracts for new restaurants on Concourse E. As the new Concourse E contracts have been delayed, incumbent concessionaires have benefited by getting multiple contract extensions.

With the airport concessions contracts delayed for more than a year, "There are a lot of us who think they should be thrown out," said Andre Dickens, chair of the city council transportation committee, which oversees the airport. "My thoughts are that we should throw those out, rebid them."

Dickens said he thinks the procurement processes should be canceled because of "just public trust," and because the cost of goods and construction has changed since companies submitted proposals more than a year ago.

“The posture of the administration is moving in that direction,” Dickens said.

For new Hartsfield-Jackson general manager John Selden, it’s a priority task.

“Obviously I’m getting my feet wet with this issue,” said Selden, who was confirmed by city council as airport manager last week. He said he is working with the city’s chief procurement officer and “I would hope in the next two to three weeks” will decide whether to start the contracting over again.

Approving and opening new airport shops can take several months, so no matter what they decide, airport officials may still seek month-to-month extensions of existing concessionaires’ contracts that have expired.

While many of the airport concessions contracts have been in a lengthy holding pattern, one contract for a food court on Concourse C recently moved forward.

The process of building out the space started about a month ago, according to airport officials. The contracting process for the Concourse C food court originally started in 2015, and it could still be six to nine months to complete the construction for the food court to open.