Kier Construction has been appointed key contractor on a £10m extension to the terminal at London Southend Airport, which will enable 300 new, local jobs to be created.

Construction of the extension, which will get under way early in November, will be split into three phases. The first phase is a new arrivals facility, and this is scheduled to be ready at the end of May 2013. The final phase will be completed just before Christmas 2013.

Phase 1 of the light and airy, fly-through terminal became operational on 28 February 2012 and is less than 100 paces from the new railway station. Passengers flying out from the airport will wait for a maximum of four-minutes for security, while those arriving with just hand luggage can expect to travel from plane to train within 15 minutes of leaving the aircraft.

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This Phase 2 extension is to ensure those high standards of service passengers are currently enjoying are not compromised as passenger numbers grow towards two million per year by 2020.

The terminal building will become 90m longer, and the number of check in desks/baggage drop-off points will increase, as will the amount of space for passengers in security. The departure lounge will grow in size to enhance the experience for passengers relaxing and awaiting boarding after security, and a larger arrivals area will have enhanced baggage reclaim facilities and a larger immigration area.

Retail and catering facilities will also be expanded throughout the terminal in order to provide a much wider range of shops and services to passengers.

The 300 new jobs will arise from the increase in Southend-based aircraft over time. This will result in a variety of additional operational and service roles such as passenger service, security, retail, catering, baggage handling, engineering and maintenance, plus airline crew from London Southend-based airline operations.

(CD)