Airport projects offer chance to land new contracts

Airport projects are taking off around the country, generating significant new construction work prospects. 

Despite concerns over sky-high oil prices and jet fuel shortages this summer, a series of major UK airports are pressing ahead with construction programmes to expand and modernise their infrastructure and facilities.

Today, significant new construction projects are either in the near-term pipeline or being planned at Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Manchester, and Bristol airports. And whilst a 3^rd runway at Heathrow may be some years from take-off, a major capital programme is being planned to upgrade the airport’s existing facilities.

The strong prospects in the sector are highlighted in the April Glenigan Construction Review. This shows that the value of airport-related infrastructure starts rose to £202 million in the three months to March and accounted for 13% of all civil engineering projects getting underway in the period.

Airport capacity lifts off

Glenigan project information also details the wide range of airport projects in the pipeline across the country.

Planning permission has been granted, and work is set to start next year on the huge £2.2 billion Gatwick North Runway development (pictured), which will increase the airport’s capacity from 61 to 74 million passengers per annum. Bechtel is the project manager on the scheme (Project ID: 03225160).

Other smaller schemes offer scope for new work at London Gatwick. Tenders have been returned, and work is set to start later this year on the new £10 million Hangar 7 scheme at the West Sussex site (Project ID: 25609119). Meanwhile, work on a £595,000 extension at the airport’s South Terminal is also due to start later this year (Project ID: 18107741).

At Stansted Airport in north Essex, Laing O’Rourke has been appointed as the main contractor on the new £150 million passenger terminal extension, where work is set to start this summer and run for 18 months. The project includes a 3-bay extension to the existing passenger building and 3 walkways totalling 16,500 sq m of space (Project ID: 23213774).

Meanwhile, a £480 million infrastructure project to build two new taxiways across a 7-hectare site at Stansted is also set to go ahead, with work potentially starting later this year (Project ID: 16135565).

At Luton Airport in Bedfordshire, detailed plans have been granted, and the government is backing a £2.4 billion expansion which will almost double its capacity to 32 million passengers per annum. Although environmental legal challenges have delayed the start, work is now pencilled in to get underway early next year and run for 36 months (Project ID: 21110220).

As the £440 million terminal modernisation programme at Manchester Airport (Project ID: 23147545) nears completion, other projects at the site are in the pipeline.

Kier Construction (North West) has been appointed as the civil engineering contractor for a £65 million rail platform remodelling project to accommodate future passenger growth. Work is set to start this summer and run for 35 months (Project ID: 25171984).

Growth in regional capacity

Airport expansion plans are also in the pipeline at other major regional cities. At Bristol International Airport, Farrans started work this spring on a £30 million extension programme at the site’s South Terminal (Project ID: 24191571).

Moreover, outline plans have now been submitted for a £289.2 million expansion at Bristol Airport, which will increase its annual capacity to 15 million passengers. Work on the scheme, which could start next spring if approved, will involve over 86,000 sq m of space and will run for 24 months (Project ID: 26205359).

Irrespective of whether a third runway at Heathrow goes ahead, plans have been unveiled for a significant redevelopment of the airport’s Terminal 4 – with a new multi-storey car park and upgraded check-in hall – along with a dedicated baggage system for Terminal 2. The project is costed at £1.3 billion, and if approved, work could start this autumn and run for 62 months (Project ID: 25625853).