Vinci for Gatwick upgrade

Vinci Construction UK has been awarded a contract by London Gatwick to transform Pier 1 in the South Terminal – one of the oldest in the South Terminal, first opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1958.

The revamped building will house new gate-rooms for passengers and will be linked by air-bridges to five new aircraft stands. It will have a new baggage system which is designed to enable bags to be processed faster and airlines to offer automated fast-bag drops. It is felt that the project should also improve passenger circulation in the airport.

Costing a total of €105 million, the construction programme will start in December 2012 and will continue through to September 2015.

Vinci Construction UK is a subsidiary of French-based Vinci, which claimed to have extensive experience of working in airport environments. It said this contract award represented the continuation of a long association with Gatwick Airport.

Vinci Construction UK has carried out numerous projects at both the North and South Terminals over the years, including Gatwick’s South Terminal forecourt redevelopment, the South Terminal Security Project (speeding up travel through the security area by 25%), and the Pier 2 development.