Demolition work begins at Gatwick Airport in London

The transformation project involves three different elements – passenger facilities, airline facilities and a new baggage system. The new pier and baggage system will complement the South Terminal security area, the North Terminal extension, and the new A380 stand.

The new pier and baggage project will provide passengers with a new and much-improved experience. The new design will offer easy access from the departure lounge and spacious departure gates with panoramic views of the airfield. It will also have dedicated areas for both families and the business traveller.

The gross floor area of the new building which will come up after demolishing Pier 1 will be 25,000 square metres with five new aircraft stands. All five stands will be pier serviced with new airbridges while each of the gaterooms will have seating for over a 100 people. Due to flight path height restrictions, the roof would be maintenance-free. In the new design, the internal space has been maximised through a slim mid floor, utilising ‘post tension concrete.’ The taxiways and existing aircraft aprons are being replaced over an area of 40,000 square metres, which is approximately the size of four football pitches. There will be seven new lifts installed to carry a total of 214 people at any one time. A new business passenger lounge will be developed and the existing lounge refurbished. All the concrete that is broken out will be crushed and recycled.

Various passenger-friendly initiatives have been incorporated in the new baggage system such as loading points which make the whole process safer and more efficient. A key feature will be a new automated baggage storage facility, which will allow passengers to drop their bags as soon as they arrive at the airport. First Early Bag Store at Gatwick will have storage for 2,600 bags and will accommodate early check in up to 18 hours prior to departures. The new baggage system can accommodate over 4,000 bags per hour.

The project would complete by the summer of 2015. Vinci Construction UK is serving as the general contractor for the project.

Gatwick is the UK’s second largest airport and the busiest single-runway airport in the world, serving more than 180 destinations in 90 countries.