Airport set to double in size

EDINBURGH Airport today unveiled a proposed £1 billion expansion which includes a second runway.

The airport boundary will more than double in size by 2030 to cope with an expected surge in passenger numbers.

The terminal building will be enlarged with extra check-in desks, departure lounges and boarding gates.

Meanwhile, a new runway will be created to the north of the existing one once the airport’s flight-handling capacity has been reached.

Extensions to cargo facilities, car parking and aircraft servicing have also been included in the plans.

A major growth in air services predicted to use Edinburgh in a Government White Paper led owners BAA to draw up an ambitious blueprint for its future.

The volume of passengers flying to and from the Capital is expected to more than treble by 2030, rising from eight million to 26 million.

The number of landings and take-offs is expected to double by the time another runway is needed, rising from 104,000 today to 241,900 by 2030.

Meanwhile, aircraft movements per hour could double from the present rate of 33 to up to 65 by the same date.

BAA has predicted the expansion will create up to 10,000 jobs as well as providing a huge shot in the arm to the Scottish economy.

The private company believes the development will provide a huge boost to tourism, with local businesses such as hoteliers reaping the benefits.

BAA was asked by the Government to produce a vision for its expansion over the next quarter of a century. It followed a decision by Transport Minister Alistair Darling to give the green light to a second runway once the airport reaches its expected capacity.

Today, the company revealed its draft masterplan which sets out potential changes up to 2030.

The scheme will now be put out to public consultation before a final version is produced in December.

The space needed to house the new facilities looks certain to spark controversy, with 394 more hectares of land needed for expansion. The current facility is 375 hectares.

The second runway alone would swallow up 280 hectares and is anticipated to stretch up to three kilometres in length.

Another ten hectares would be needed to deal with extra workload created by an expected sharp rise in cargo shipments.

BAA also confirmed that 84 hectares of land presently occupied by the Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) would be essential for the terminal extension and aircraft aprons. Society members had hoped to co-exist with any expansion plans but BAA bosses have said they will have to relocate.

The passenger terminal and aircraft parking aprons will stretch several hundred yards beyond the present airport boundary into the Ingliston showground with extensions to the south, east and west.

The growing number of planes using the airport will require new facilities to service their needs, with the amount of aircraft parking stands climbing from 29 to 69 by 2030. A further two maintenance hangars are likely to be needed.

Expanding fleets of larger aircraft, such as the new A380 Airbus, will also require an overhaul of the existing main runway.

But Richard Jeffrey, managing director at Edinburgh Airport, believes the masterplan allows sufficient leeway to accommodate future trends in aviation.

He said: "The exciting thing about this masterplan is it gives us a long-term and stable environment to plan for growth.

"The document is reasonably broad so we don’t give details about the size of aircraft stands for instance.

"That allows us to tailor our projects strategically according to the way the market is going. The market is going towards larger aircraft at the moment and we could facilitate that.

"This is a 25-year plan but it will be reviewed every five years. The major part of the boundary extension will come from the second runway. By outlining that we can now work with the Scottish Executive and Edinburgh City Council over how that can be brought about."

BAA, which runs seven UK airports including Aberdeen and Glasgow, was asked to devise the consultation document in December 2003.

The company is still drafting plans for Glasgow’s future, which are expected in three weeks.

It is thought the plans will not propose an immediate second runway for Glasgow as it has the capacity to expand around a single runway.

But Mr Jeffrey today denied there was any race between Edinburgh and Glasgow to become Scotland’s first "super airport" and insisted any expansion would be entirely market-driven.

"The plans for those airports will allow growth when there is a demand for growth. We don’t have a ‘build it and they will come mentality’. You have to attract operators to fly to those destinations then build the facilities necessary."

Mr Jeffrey added that the consultation would welcome input from local residents and environmental groups. Objections are expected to be raised over the development’s potential impact on noise and air pollution.

He said: "This plan also considers the environmental impact of our business and we understand that we can only grow with the support and trust of our neighbours. That is why I will be out and about between now and August listening to as many people as possible and understanding what matters to local people and key stakeholders from business and politics."

According to government research, the development of the airport will not compromise air-quality standards in the period to 2013 and beyond.

And BAA has promised to work with local authorities to tackle areas of poor air quality and reduce the impact of the problem. However, the masterplan conceded that "more people will be affected by aircraft noise" if the second runway is built.

A scheme to provide support for households affected has been formulated, but the details are yet to be published. A range of new transport services will also be introduced to provide easy access to the airport.

The 500 million Edinburgh Airport Rail Link (EARL) will offer train services to a new underground station if the project receives the go-ahead, while the proposed tram line is expected to be in place by 2009.

A planning bid for a new road connecting with the Gogar roundabout will be lodged by BAA this year. A massive increase in car parking has also been set out, with the number of spaces climbing from 6200 to 15,500.

PROPOSALS AT A GLANCE

New three-kilometre-long runway by 2030.

Expansion of terminal facilities by 2013, including check-in, baggage pick-up and departure lounge.

On-site car-parking rising from 6200 to 10,500 by 2013.

New cargo facilities and extra aircraft aprons.

Around 30 extra aircraft parking stands required by 2030.

New aircraft maintenance areas, including two hangars.

New tram and heavy rail access with underground station.

A road link connecting to the Gogar roundabout.

Showground seeks 'workable alternatives'

THE Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) today said it "welcomed" the publication of the masterplan.

Society members still believe there are "workable alternatives" which will allow them to remain at their Ingliston home.

But BAA has confirmed that co-existence will be impossible due to the future expansion of Edinburgh Airport and insisted that the RHASS will have to relocate.

RHASS chief executive Ray Jones, right, said: "From what I have seen so far there are workable alternatives in the plans that would allow the showground to remain on site alongside an expanded airport.

"We would be happy to sit down with both BAA and the Scottish Executive to develop the alternatives that would ensure that the showground continues to benefit the Lothian economy to the tune of 170 million a year."

Mr Jones said his group would have to study the masterplan before making any comments on specific issues.

RHASS said that the showground’s future has been placed in jeopardy by the airport expansion.