Airport operator Manchester Airport Group (MAG) has begun implementing a number of new multi-million-pound projects to enhance customer service and security at London Stansted Airport. The new developments will help build short- and medium-term operational capacity at the airport to keep pace with increasing passenger demand.
The projects include changes to the layout and operation of the security search area and the installation of 500 extra seats in the main departure lounge. MAG also plans to create 2,500 new ‘Meet and Greet’ waiting areas as well as 1,000 short-stay car parking spaces by the end of July.
To help increase passenger throughput at security screening and ensure the airport keeps pace with security compliance requirements, work has begun to introduce central image processing (CIP). This involves relocating the hand baggage x-ray review process to a dedicated central location away from the other security related activity in the terminal.
The £5m (US$7m) investment will see the new technology applied to 13 of the airport’s 22 security lanes with the first three upgrades completed by mid-July. The security search area entrance will also be subject to a redesign due to be completed by late fall.
Karen Smart, customer service and security director, London Stansted Airport, said, “Stansted is already the busiest single-terminal airport in the UK, serving over 23 million passengers each year, and with passenger numbers forecast to grow rapidly in the years ahead, it’s vital we invest in new technology and services to ensure we keep pace with increasing demand while at the same time improving the customer experience at the airport.
“The investments we are making are a clear demonstration of our commitment to driving service standards upward by utilizing the best technology available to increase operational efficiency and delivering the type and scale of facilities passengers expected at a major international airport.”