Future Infrastructure Developments

[Sherburnflyer92]

Things are coming along nicely it would seem. Saltaire bar now seems like a proper restaurant you would find in the cities rather then an after thought which is good. Love the fact now it is a split restaurant and bar which is great.

 

[B737]

A couple of shots of the new seating area, the roof seems to be nearing completion. The first photo shows where th old windows used to be that looked out over the old roof.View attachment 5506 View attachment 5507

 

[White Heather]

I never saw any of this when I flew to Mahon on 12th June as our Jet2 737 800 was on the airbridge and so we never set foot downstairs.

 

[Seasider]

I'll have a look (and report back) week after next when I fly out on my next trip.

 

[Aviador]

I'll have a look (and report back) week after next when I fly out on my next trip.

...any chance of some more sneaky pictures?

 

[B737]

They have started taking the wall out that divided the new seating area. You can start to get an idea of the size of the new space. Unfortunately it looks like it will have two different floor levels which is not a massive problem, it would just flow better if it was all one level.View attachment 5525 View attachment 5526 View attachment 5527

 

[lbaspotter]

Great pictures once again,

WOW, You really can see how big that seating area upstairs is going to be now that opening has been made.

Thanks for the update "737".

 

[White Heather]

I am pretty sure that this is the single biggest increase in seating, all in one go, in the history of the terminal, with around 500 additional seats being available. That should make a huge difference in terms of seating available, particularly bearing in mind the increased seating available now at the Saltaire Bar.

 

[Bigstu]

Its finally an extension to the external envelope of the building and should vastly improve the departures experience. The next major issue to be addressed should be arrivals halls which are wholly inadequate!

 

[Aviador]

It's difficult to invisage how arrivals can be extended. The only way I can see is by lengthening each carousel out into what is currently the landside corridor. To take the building the other way out across the ramp would eat up yet more aircraft parking.

 

[White Heather]

It's difficult to invisage how arrivals can be extended. The only way I can see is by lengthening each carousel out into what is currently the landside corridor. To take the building the other way out across the ramp would eat up yet more aircraft parking.

I don't think there is any intention of enlarging the arrivals areas until the terminal extension is built - which cannot be too far away if passenger numbers continue to climb as they have this year. That will enable major changes in layout and an enlarged baggage reclaim area, although it will probably mean that the route to the security area from the Jet2 check in hall will have to be revised to pass through the new area. The current walkway would surely become part of the baggage re-claim hall? Actually doing the work whilst continuing to deal with in-coming passengers and their baggage will be interesting to say the least. Good luck to the project team on that one when the time comes.

 

[Britannia94]

Along with the baggage hall immigration should surely be one to look at. Six desks is no where enough during busy periods, especially when the queues are halfway across the other side of the airport.

 

[Aviador]

Along with the baggage hall immigration should surely be one to look at. Six desks is no where enough during busy periods, especially when the queues are halfway across the other side of the airport.

I can't disagree with that but the manning of the desks is provided my UK Border Agency and my previous experience with them is they are undermanned. Brexit will likely lead to more queuing so this might need to be addressed sooner than we think.

 

[White Heather]

In terms of the available immigration gates, I would think that any of these will occur at the same time as any expansion of the baggage re-claim area as the two are inextricably linked. In fact I am convinced (more so since arriving myself at LBA last week) that the immigration queue is controlled as a means to ensure that the numbers in the baggage re-claim hall are kept to a sensible level (there is probably a maximum number allowed in there due to Health and Safety and Fire Regs). So both will almost certainly be dependent upon the terminal extension.

 

[B737]

Latest update, the steel beams have been painted white and the walls of the extended downstairs retail unit (Cargo?) have been pasted.View attachment 5529 View attachment 5530

 

[tleeds]

The major issue the airport have is that in their eyes, arrivals into LBA for them make very little money. It's all about the outbound.

They're very reluctant to invest in arrivals, partly because arriving passengers spend on average 20-50mins in the airport (including peak periods) whereas outbound passengers spend on average 65-110mins inside the terminal. Easy to see why! - figures from LBA survey from 2015 I believe!

 

[White Heather]

Tom, the reason they haven't done anything with the arrivals area is, quite simply, there is nowhere to do it, until the extension is built. For that reason alone, my view is they just just get it built, but Bridgepoint clearly don't work like that. And as you point out, they make no money from arrivals.

 

[Bigstu]

My view is that should increasing numbers of passengers have negative LBA arrivals experiences there will be less wallets to extract from in LBA Departures!

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

In terms of the available immigration gates, I would think that any of these will occur at the same time as any expansion of the baggage re-claim area as the two are inextricably linked. In fact I am convinced (more so since arriving myself at LBA last week) that the immigration queue is controlled as a means to ensure that the numbers in the baggage re-claim hall are kept to a sensible level (there is probably a maximum number allowed in there due to Health and Safety and Fire Regs). So both will almost certainly be dependent upon the terminal extension.

Could not agree more having worked before in the terminal. It's subtle planned e.g. Delay the buses to the aircraft etc.

 

[a300boy]

I think you are all missing a trick here ! time spent in the immigration queue gives time for recognition of people in it and actions to be made as a result.