Work has started improving the arrivals area at one of central England’s busiest airports.
East Midlands Airport is doubling the size of its immigration hall to try and improve the experience for travellers.
The Leicestershire airport is building an extension to the existing, outdated building, and adding more e-gates to fast-track passengers through.
The work is part of £2 million of improvements to the arrival hall and the area where aircraft park.
It was originally hoped work might get underway last spring.
Around 4.9 million passengers use the arrivals hall each year and delays in the summer of 2018 saw some passengers queueing out of the building on arrival.
Two-thirds of passengers fly during the summer season between April and October, with July, August and September the busiest.
There are already five automated self-service e-gates operated by the 海角视频’s Border Force at the immigration checkpoints inside the Castle Donington airport’s arrival hall.
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The extension is being built on a staff car park to the left of the current building when entering from the runway.
During the summer of 2018 the airport was criticised after hundreds of arriving passengers were said to have been left standing outside in hot weather as they waited to pass through border control.
The expanded area will be ready ahead of next year’s busy summer season and will improve the arrivals experience for returning travellers and visitors to the region.
As well as having the facilities, the work will also future-proof that part of the terminal to help cater for growth in years to come.
The main body of the building, which houses immigration, is part of the original terminal which opened in 1965.
It was modified in 2008 when baggage reclaim and the arrivals frontage were extended and a new transport interchange and bus waiting area were added.
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Airport assets director Geoff Moss said: “We’re delighted that work is now underway to build an extension on to the immigration hall.
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“This much-needed improvement will be welcomed by the 4.9 million passengers who pass through it each year.
“Not only will the arrivals experience be better for passengers, but the new building will also smarten up the airport estate.”
He said two-thirds of the airport’s passengers travel through the airport between April and October, so the quieter winter months were a good time to do general maintenance work.
In addition to the immigration hall expansion, parts of the exterior of the check-in hall are being re-clad which will make it look fresher and cleaner.
As the airport is operational 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week, all year round, the opportunity to carry out essential work on the airfield is limited.
Overnight closures during recent weekends have allowed runway maintenance to take place.