Blackpool Airport plans modern buildings to spark growth

Plans to modernise Blackpool Airport's infrastructure have been submitted to the local council.

If approved by Fylde Council, a new office, security and small passenger handling building will be built immediately behind the current buildings at the entrance to the airport off Squires Gate Lane. 

The current administration and security buildings are both more than two decades old and have been deemed in need of modernising. They would be demolished and, along with the recently demolished fire station and engineering yard, will form the site of a first data centre demonstrator building as part of the Silicon Sands development.

The proposed new buildings would allow a combined service offering an enhanced arrivals and departures area, as well as a larger security checkpoint to host new X-ray and scanning equipment recently purchased by the airport.

The passenger facility would allow the airport to grow the number of corporate aircraft, executive and charter flights it can handle up to 45 passengers at a time.

Within the same building would be three offices and a meeting room for the airport senior leadership team.

Steve Peters, managing director of Blackpool Airport, said: “This is a major step forward in the future of Blackpool Airport. Over the last five years we’ve done a lot of work internally to make Blackpool an attractive airport once again, and we’re seeing the rewards of that with increased corporate and executive aircraft flights accommodating larger cabin class aircraft, and welcoming new customers to the airport for the first time.

“This new facility will allow us to grow these executive flights by numbers of movements and increased aircraft size by offering more space as well as improved security, while a new building will provide a modern and welcoming environment that is more suitable as a first impression for departing or arriving visitors.”

This is the latest in a range of plans submitted to upgrade airport infrastructure. A planning application for a new road and hangars was revealed last September and is expected to be decided on by Fylde Council’s Planning Committee later this summer. Future plans for the airport include new executive hangars at the west of the airport, and a solar farm for land south of the main runway.

A new fuel farm enabling the use of sustainable and alternative aviation fuels and battery storage are also under consideration.