Award-winning UK airport reveals new £20million renovation – making travel much easier
A UK airport has revealed its plans for a multi-million-pound renovation.
Earlier this year, Teesside International Airport was named the favourite small UK airport for leisure travel by passengers.
The northern airport won the gong at the 2023 British Travel Awards, marking the end of a positive year for the airport.
Last year, Teesside International Airport saw the highest number of passengers pass through its terminal for 11 years.
The transport hub also became the first in the UK to scrap the 100ml liquid limit in security.
Teesside was the first to completely install new state-of-the-art scanners, meaning passengers no longer have to take laptops out of their bags, and holidaymakers can carry two litres of liquid in their hand luggage.
According to the Northern Echo, plans are underfoot to build a new railway station at the airport.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has promised to pump £20million into renovating the airport’s train station.
Teesside Airport Station closed in May 2022, and it has yet to reopen.
A statement on the National Rail website read: “Tees-side Airport station is closed until further notice due to urgent repairs to the railway.”
The Tees Valley Mayor hopes to build an accessible station using the money allocated to the area from the scrapping of HS2.
Lord Houchen told the Northern Echo: “As a serious airport we need a working rail link that passengers can use to get to the airport, and with the current state of the train station this is simply not possible.
“We are ahead of schedule on our plan to turn things around, and the next phase of development following the opening of our business park and cargo facility, will see us build a new station at the airport.
“This investment is another step towards making our fantastic local airport sustainable for the long-term and is only possible following the £1billion we received from the government following the cancellation of the Manchester leg of HS2.”
The first phase of the project is expected to start later this month.
Ryanair and TUI are just two of the airlines offering flights from the award-winning airport to destinations like Faro in Portugal, Majorca in Spain, and Dalaman in Turkey.
Meanwhile, Balkan Holidays, a tourist operator specialising in holidays in Bulgaria, also operates services from Teeside to Bourgas in Bulgaria.
KLM also has three daily flights to Amsterdam.
Teesside International Airport isn’t the only UK airport set to undergo a huge renovation.
Leeds Bradford Airport has confirmed plans for a £100million upgrade project which includes a three-storey extension to the terminal, with more seating, restaurants, and shops.
There will also be a larger baggage claim area and immigration hall, and it is hoped that the project will be complete by 2026.
And some UK airports are hoping to reopen after closing down years ago.
Manston Airport in Kent, which first opened in 1916, closed in 2014, but could soon reopen.
Despite being closed to the public, it has been used as a lorry park as well as a filming location for James Bond and Empire of Light.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which closed back in November 2022, hopes to be able to reopen too.