UK. Airports group BAA today published a powerful £8.4 billion (US$13.5 billion) London airports capital investment programme for the 11-year period ending in financial year 2013/14.
The next phase involves consultation with the group’s airline partners, an assessment of the capacity and quality of the three London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted) and the Heathrow terminal five project, now scheduled to open in 2008.
BAA has permission to increase capacity at Heathrow and Gatwick and in the last year gained permission to grow Stansted. Their annual passenger numbers are forecast to grow +30.6% from 109.3 million today, to 157.6 million in 2013/14.
The programme comprises an investment of £6.6 billion (US$10.6 billion) at Heathrow – including £3.2 billion (US$5.2 billion) on T5 and £3.4 billion (US$5.5 billion) on other terminals. A total £1 billion (US$1.6 billion) will be spent at Gatwick retaining the existing two terminal and one runway configuration; and around £800 million (US$1.3 billion) at Stansted. Retail is a certain beneficiary from the expansion as BAA places increasing emphasis on non-aviation revenues.
BAA ceo designate Mike Clasper commented: “We are fulfilling our promise to invest heavily in the quality and capacity of our airports for our passengers and airline partners, establishing the airlines’ priorities through this consultation. We are already hard at work on the Heathrow terminal 5 site and are on track to deliver a state-of-the-art terminal on time and to budget in 2008.”
At Heathrow, around £1.2 billion (US$1.9 billion) will be spent in the central terminal area and in T4 to include accommodating airline alliances in the central terminal area and links across to T5. At T1, currently used for domestic and European flights, facilities will be adapted to handle long haul flights with an extension and terminal and pier developments. Other changes at Heathrow will create new pier configurations for the A380 super jumbo.
Gatwick and Stansted will receive progress extensions to make full use of the existing runway capacity. Gatwick North will receive a new Pier 6 and Gatwick South arrivals will be extended.
