Air passengers will have to pass through duty free shop
DEPARTING passengers are to be taken through the duty free shop at airport, with alterations to the area starting this week.
Randalls, which own the shop, has funded an undisclosed proportion of the costs for the build, which will take several months in different phases.
The shop will increase in size by around 40sq. m.
A walkway will be installed to the right of the entrance to security and a priority boarding lane will also be installed.
The two security lanes will remain following the development with extended rollers, while the number of scanners and staff manning the scanners will also remain the same.
There will be no changes to the seating arrangements or cafe in the departure lounge.
One of the security lanes will be closed, however, while work is under way before Christmas.
Head of aviation services Ash Nicholas said the changes to the area will ‘future proof’ departures.
‘Randall’s wanted to increase the size of their duty-free area.
‘There’s already not much room so this is going to afford a much larger area, the rollers [attached to the scanner] will be longer.
‘It’s going to mean we can future proof the area.
'We may have to put a body scanner in for example.
‘There will also be more room for people to dress once they have come through security.
‘Phase one will begin this week as the hoarding [screens] goes up. We will keep one lane open at all times and we hope to have both lanes open by Christmas.
‘There will then be some more work on the duty-free aspect next year,’ he said.
The cost of the project and the amount proportionally provided by Randalls was not disclosed as it was considered ‘commercially sensitive’.
Brian Tyrrell, director of the project’s architects Tyrrell Dowinton, said the seasonal challenges of closing the lanes had been considered.
‘The decision was taken to phase the construction in the winter when the airport is typically quieter, but there are spikes such as around Christmas when we will aim to open the second lane,’ he said.
The priority boarding lane will bypass the new walkway and see customers who pay extra go to the front of the queue for security.
‘It will be around £10-£15 extra on the tickets, it will be announced officially next year,’ added Mr Nicholas.
