Building a new extension to Edinburgh Airport’s terminal building is the start of an £80 million investment plan to help the airport handle forecasted record number of passengers.

Work has started on the three-story extension which will stretch out from the existing gate 12 area, covering the old east end service yard out to the Gogar Burn.

The expansion is part of the airport’s £220m+ capital investment programme to support growth and maintain operational standards over the next five years.

The expansion is due to be completed by summer 2018 and will see the South East Pier extended to create new boarding gates and seating areas between gates 13 and 14.

Designed to support forecasted growth of up to 16.5million passengers in 2021 and beyond, it will provide:

• Extended immigration, customs and international reclaim facilities
• A new home for our domestic reclaim hall, enabling the expansion of our baggage hall into the current domestic reclaim area
• New retail opportunities, food and beverage options, toilets, lettable property and office space, VIP lounges, and retail storage
• 6 new gates, gate seating areas and connectivity via a series of fixed links, stair nodes and air bridges to the new stands

greg85 wrote:

Another small step to allow even more aircraft to operate into an airport that doesn't have the infrastructure to handle them. Peak times at EDI are now a juggling act of parking aircraft on all of the taxi ways until a stand becomes available.

greg85 wrote:

Another small step to allow even more aircraft to operate into an airport that doesn't have the infrastructure to handle them. Peak times at EDI are now a juggling act of parking aircraft on all of the taxi ways until a stand becomes available.

HHScot wrote:

greg85 wrote:

Another small step to allow even more aircraft to operate into an airport that doesn't have the infrastructure to handle them. Peak times at EDI are now a juggling act of parking aircraft on all of the taxi ways until a stand becomes available.

That's the reason for the investment.

I wonder if the expansion will bring a new arrivals process. I've never experienced any issues with security at EDI but the passport control on arrival can be a major pain.

jsnww81 wrote:

What do you know, another tacked-on piecemeal extension at a British airport.

The language about new gate areas and baggage claim is nice, but the only part of that press release anyone should pay any attention to is the part about "new retail opportunities" - mark my words, that's where the lion's share of the attention will be focused.

redroo wrote:

Would it not be better long term to enclose the Stream/River and build over it ?

Turnhouse1 wrote:

Indeed, what they really need to do is extend the departure lounge over the 'tent' to the right of the red bit on that render, to create more waiting space to replace that lost to a coffee shop and play area over the last few years. The additional gates for larger planes are a welcome addition.

jsnww81 wrote:

What do you know, another tacked-on piecemeal extension at a British airport.

The language about new gate areas and baggage claim is nice, but the only part of that press release anyone should pay any attention to is the part about "new retail opportunities" - mark my words, that's where the lion's share of the attention will be focused.

Breathe wrote:

jsnww81 wrote:

What do you know, another tacked-on piecemeal extension at a British airport.

The language about new gate areas and baggage claim is nice, but the only part of that press release anyone should pay any attention to is the part about "new retail opportunities" - mark my words, that's where the lion's share of the attention will be focused.

I hope you're wrong, but given the trend of what's been built over the last few years, its perfectly understandable why people are cynical with new developments at UK airports.

by738 wrote:

Any more on rumours of EDI being put up for sale?

lhrnue wrote:

With the exception of LHR T2, T5 and STN every other Terminal building in UK is an embarrassment.

hibtastic wrote:

They are investing in the infrastructure to handle the extra passengers. The new stands are already in place and there are plans for significantly more when the second runway closes. This new extension should significantly improve the arrivals process.

We would be complaining if they weren't investing but they are so all good.

GCT64 wrote:

Back to EDI, through which I regularly commute, I'm afraid I'm with the cynics who say that this is just an opportunity to add more retail space. The worst aspect is being forced to meander through the duty free shop between security and the gates - I have brushed into quite a few people in there, and actually properly bashed into a couple - it's dangerous and stupid as well as unpleasant.

sandyb123 wrote:

Moving away from the shopping Centre speculation, does anybody else note the 777-300ER in the render. Unless this is a mistake by the graphic illustrator, I'm going to say that as soon as this is open we should expect an announcement from EK

Ssndyb123

The days of Emirates and expanding to all points may be behind them. The Scottish market is limited for long haul, even for the ME3. Qatar and Etihad are struggling to find room for both and Emirates would undoubtedly be cannibalising GLA if they launched EDI. Mind you I said that about Continental....perhaps they might move one GLA flight to EDI rather than throw more capacity into the Scottish market?

Kiwirob wrote:

hibtastic wrote:

They are investing in the infrastructure to handle the extra passengers. The new stands are already in place and there are plans for significantly more when the second runway closes. This new extension should significantly improve the arrivals process.

We would be complaining if they weren't investing but they are so all good.

Until you mentioned the second runway I never reaslised they had two.

Edinburgh Airport is to sacrifice its secondary runway to build a massive business and housing complex.

It has unveiled plans for a site that could stretch to more than 100 acres which is claimed would be one of the best-connected developments in Scotland.

Offices, homes and industrial buildings would stretch from south-east of the passenger terminal to nearly as far as the Gogar roundabout.

The airport said it was too early to say how much the development would cost.

It said a planned new terminal access road – which it would fund – would be the catalyst for the plans to take off.

Chief executive Gordon Dewar said an adjacent development area south of the airport which had sought to attract major companies had failed to get off the ground because of the lack of such key infrastructure.

He agreed the airport’s plans would provide “a degree of competition” with the proposed International Business Gateway scheme, where he said “nothing has happened” for years.

Mr Dewar said there had been early discussions with the city council over its own proposals, and hoped construction would start next year, if planning permission was granted.

The site will occupy much of the crosswind runway, which the airport said was rarely used. It runs south-east to north-west and cannot be used at the same time as the adjacent main south-west to north-east runway.

However, the crosswind runway is used during runway maintenance and resurfacing. Mr Dewar admitted: “It will make it harder to avoid disruption, but we believe we have solutions that will address it.”

Land for a planned second runway, which is expected to be needed around 2050, has already been reserved to the north of and parallel with the main runway.

Former airport chief commercial officer John Watson will spearhead the building scheme as chief executive of newly-formed offshoot Crosswind Developments.

Mr Dewar said details of the 86-acre plan, which could be extended to 111 acres, were still being devised. He expected it to include “high-end” offices at the southern end of the site, with light industrial units and warehouses at the north end, such as for use by companies flying goods in and out.

He said a “relatively modest” amount of housing would be included to complement a major residential development just to the east of the site, around Turnhouse Road.

Mr Dewar said the scheme’s green credentials would be “way above” planning standards and that traffic growth generated by the development would be minimised by the use of the nearby Edinburgh Gateway Station, the tram-train interchange which opened in December with direct links to Fife and the north as well as the city centre.

jsnww81 wrote:

Breathe wrote:

jsnww81 wrote:

What do you know, another tacked-on piecemeal extension at a British airport.

The language about new gate areas and baggage claim is nice, but the only part of that press release anyone should pay any attention to is the part about "new retail opportunities" - mark my words, that's where the lion's share of the attention will be focused.

I hope you're wrong, but given the trend of what's been built over the last few years, its perfectly understandable why people are cynical with new developments at UK airports.

Agree - it's not my intention to be cynical or hateful toward British airports, but they are, without exception, heinous places. Seating and circulation space are nonexistent, every terminal feels like a bazaar where you're forced through shopping areas, and even the mid-level airports are a jumbled mess of haphazard extensions that look like tin sheds or warehouses. Even the much-vaunted T2 and T5 at LHR, which are architecturally fine structures, have been mucked up by terrible passenger flow and far too much space given over to retail. There's no reason to believe this work at EDI will be any different.

It's an embarrassment for such an otherwise lovely country.

Edinburgh Airport is currently tendering six new F&B outlets, with up to nine retail stores to follow by mid-year. These opportunities form an integral component of a new retail and catering area in a £19 million (US$23.7 million) pier extension. F&B alone will grow by +56% thanks to this extra space.

sandyb123 wrote:

The days of Emirates and expanding to all points may be behind them. The Scottish market is limited for long haul, even for the ME3. Qatar and Etihad are struggling to find room for both and Emirates would undoubtedly be cannibalising GLA if they launched EDI. Mind you I said that about Continental....perhaps they might move one GLA flight to EDI rather than throw more capacity into the Scottish market?

I think the challenge for EK in Scotland is the population. As their smallest aircraft for now the 777 they can fill that at Glasgow twice daily, but Edinburgh is potentially higher risk as although it is a more lucrative market, there is less of it and EK relies on volume to fill those big planes.

Also, would the 777 be significantly weight restricted out of EDI given the fairly short length (100 meters shorter than GLA which I believe is already weight restricted for the 300ER at MTOW)?

EK have also invested in a lounge at GLA and their chauffeur drive is a big incentive for J & F as it covers Edinburgh in its reach. I am actually looking to fly to the UAE in October and am tempted by Etihad as EDI is my local airport, but they are not the cheapest, lounge is poor and they've just cut the chauffeur drive at all remote airports. I'm EK gold (actually I think I've been demoted to silver as I fly less these days!!) so it's 'the wrong way' over to GLA with the chauffeur, nicer lounge, F suites when miles / allowance allows and IMO a better service on EK, or taxi to EDI shopping Centre and onto the ET A330 to Abu Dhabi?? i think EK still gets my vote. '

Maybe when the 787/350 order starts to arrive this will change but this is a good few years off happening if it happens at all?

Sandyb123

skipness1E wrote:

Jsnww81 is right, another tacked on piecemeal addition keeps things going a little longer. The terminal no longer has any logical flownor rational sense, just like GLA. They've taken a decent piece of publically funded infrastructure and expanded them out of all recognition. They're just shopping malls with only the SE pier having any semblance of peace and quiet.

And yet that's the price of the huge pivot towards the leisure boom. No longer are airports built to get business travellers from A to B with the minimum of hassle, they're now built to extract the maximum from Ma, Pa and the Bairns before they pop off for more rays in countries which actually see the sun. Changed days and we must accept that. T2 and T5 at LHR are different, they're doing what they were designed for, EDI today, not so much. Btw how does the cross runway closing impact terminal parking? Is it more remotes I guess?

The days of Emirates and expanding to all points may be behind them. The Scottish market is limited for long haul, even for the ME3. Qatar and Etihad are struggling to find room for both and Emirates would undoubtedly be cannibalising GLA if they launched EDI. Mind you I said that about Continental....perhaps they might move one GLA flight to EDI rather than throw more capacity into the Scottish market?

JannEejit wrote:

If the rumours of EDI's rapid expansion in passengers being down to cut price deals being offered to airlines are true, then I'd assume they'll be bigging up any sort of secondary income streams like retail as much as possible. Were they also one of the first to implement the now common drop off charge for arriving passengers ?

sandyb123 wrote:

Moving away from the shopping Centre speculation, does anybody else note the 777-300ER in the render. Unless this is a mistake by the graphic illustrator, I'm going to say that as soon as this is open we should expect an announcement from EK

Ssndyb123

Breathe wrote:

Here are the initial plans for the first floor:


https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/fash ... ty-status/

jsnww81 wrote:

Breathe wrote:

Here are the initial plans for the first floor:


https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/fash ... ty-status/

And there you have it - the detailed floorplan for this extension, showing nothing but retail additions and lots of flowery language about how much more space will be available for concessions. See any public seating areas in that diagram? Nope.

The rest of Europe seems able to balance revenue-generating retail areas with the need for circulation space and places for folks to sit down. Sometimes they even manage to include some memorable architecture. The UK can't manage anything except windowless tin sheds full of shops and crowded, non-intuitive pathways from point A to point B.

skipness1E wrote:

Oi Mr Breathe. Am well aware of what EDI used to look like, it used to be a perfect little airport IMHO as it was fit for the purpose it was being used for.

skipness1E wrote:

Privatised airports really are going in a whole new direction now, less and less to do with getting me from A to B as seamlessly as possible and more, and who would have thought that was possible, chances to flog me overpriced tat.

skipness1E wrote:

As for Dublin, well the Scottish market is split GLA/EDI in a way the Irish one isn't. SNN would be a busy PIK and ORK might be an ABZ. DUB dominates so the analogy isn't great. If the CEO is talking about bringing in "billions of people" the masterplan may need tweaked just a tad.....

Ph1l1p wrote:

I wouldn't say that Newcastle is full of shops, its mainly full of bars! The majority of the space given over in the departure lounge refurbishment was to bars and restaurants and the new duty free store. The newest eating establishment to open is a kebab shop! It's like having a night out with some drinks and then a dirty kebab before you get on your flight.

ro1960 wrote:

As for future EDI expansion, it looks very limited. Maybe it's time to plan a common airport for both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Topic largely discussed here:
https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1371113

flyingphil wrote:

As a regular user of Edinburgh airport over the last ten years or so I have seen it become more crowded as endless building works have tacked bits on.

The main runway is also relatively short, although I doubt there is room to extend it. They will need a longer runway if they are after more long haul destinations and to compete with Glasgow. . and more gates for the larger planes..

Although the City has a relatively small population it is fairly close to Glasgow and the central belt and it is a major tourist destination.

I don't remember seeing the crosswind runway being used, it is too short to be much use.. also there are normally planes parked on it.

The new gates will mean even further to walk to the gate... it is quite a trek to the remoter gates already..

The tram to the City Centre is an improvement.. but why they didn't just use the railway lines that are either end of the runway to build a fast train link to Waverley is beyond me! Yes I know that they are linking up the tram to a new railway station but that is not much help..

Sorry to sound negative but I find it is now quicker to take the train from London to Edinburgh.. the fast train is 4 hours 20 minutes without all the hassle..

The Transform Scotland report coincided with Virgin Trains revealing that the percentage of people travelling by train to London had reached its highest level for more than 20 years.

Virgin - which is a member of Transform Scotland - said it had recorded an 18% year-on-year growth in passengers travelling between Glasgow and Edinburgh and London in June.

David Horne of Virgin Trains said: "When we took over the east coast route, we set out ambitious plans to gain a 50% market share between Edinburgh and London by 2023.