Edinburgh Airport to undergo multimillion pound makeover

Airport operator BAA is saying that Edinburgh Airport’s upcoming £40 million revamp will make it one of Europe’s most modern facilities.

The plan calls for the creation of a new terminal featuring a purpose-built area for security screening, along with bar, restaurants and shops.

According to BAA, the overhaul will make it possible for Edinburgh Airport to handle up to 13 million passengers annually.

It is anticipated that the work will take two years, and is the first phase of a five-year, £100 million investment programme at the airport, that will be funded by BAA, at no taxpayer expense.

Over the past 10 years, Edinburgh Airport has seen a doubling of its passenger numbers, increasing from 4.5 million in 1998 to nearly nine million last year, and is now the busiest airport in Scotland.

In the past few months, the impact of the recession has taken a toll on growth. Gordon Dewar, the airport’s managing director, has stressed, however, that it is important to plan for the future to be able to compete with the “biggest and best” of Europe’s airports.

Dewar said: “This BAA investment is a significant vote of confidence in Edinburgh Airport. It will help stimulate the local economy and create or support hundreds of jobs at what is obviously a difficult time for the airline industry and for the wider economy.”

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www.edinburghairport.com