Plans for a £100 million airport development at Gatwick have been officially unveiled.

The spectacular project, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, will give Gatwick its biggest makeover since the opening of the North Terminal in 1998.

John Setra is spearheading the ambitious development, set to be the envy of airports around the globe.

Pier 6 will provide 12 aircraft stands, or parking spaces, for the North Terminal when it is completed in 2005.

Its uniqueness lies in the streamlined bridge which will connect it to the terminal.

Aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 747-400 will be able to taxi beneath and the bridge will include travelators and walkways in both directions.

A glazed facade will allow crossing passengers to peer out on to the surrounding airfield, giving them eye-popping views of the airport in action.

Mr Setra said: "It's an exciting time for Gatwick. We kicked off this project in June and we're looking forward to getting operational trials started in April 2005."

The project is very impressive but what prompted it?

The development will save about 50,000 coach journeys, which take passengers across the runway between the terminal and their planes every year.

Yet Roger Cato, Gatwick's managing director, said it was not part of a long-term aim to cut costs.

He said: "The amount of money it will save us in the long run is not that much and it isn't the reason we are doing it.

"It's not about savings. It's about improving the passenger experience."

Gatwick handles about 30 million passengers a year and, by agreement with West Sussex County Council and Crawley Borough Council, that figure is forecast to rise to roughly 40 million by 2012.

However, Mr Cato said the development would not increase passenger capacity.

He said: "The project will have no direct effect on that. We simply want to attract passengers to use the airport and this will do that."

Work on the project, which was originally due to begin on the eve of September 11, 2001, but was put back due to the impact of that day's terrorist attacks on the travel industry, began in the summer.

Pier 6 is the first part of a £1 billion ten-year investment programme by British Airports Authority (BAA).

The programme also includes building an extra floor on the South Terminal building - although it is not yet known when work will begin - and improving general security measures.

The bridge is being pre-assembled at a special site on the airport boundary and, once the 200m-long, 3,500-tonne structure is finished, it will take 24 hours to carry it to the main area, using a huge crane.

With concerns over Government proposals to build a another runway in the South-East, Mr Cato also took the opportunity to say a second runway was not part of the airport's long-term planning.

Environmentalists have also been assured the project will be as green as possible.

The agreement with West Sussex and Crawley councils included an undertaking that any new development would be environmentally sound.

The pier will generate the lowest carbon dioxide emissions of any other building managed by BAA, while each of the 12 stands will be fitted with a fixed electrical ground power, providing aircraft with a silent, zero-emission power source.

Sean Horkan, general manager of the North Terminal, said the development had caused excitement among employees.

He said: "There's a real buzz about the place. I'm personally excited about it because I used to be a civil engineer so I love seeing projects like this get off the ground.

"This is going to make a huge difference to the passenger experience."

The launch of the project comes amid rumours that BAA, which also owns Glasgow and Stansted airports among others, could be broken up.

Last month, budget airlines Ryanair and Easyjet accused the authority of operating a monopoly and called for the Civil Aviation Authority to strip the company of some of its airports and ensure a better deal for passengers.

However, Caroline Alderson, BAA's head of communications, poured scorn on the suggestions.

She said: "The Government has looked at the option a number of times over the years and each time it has decided against it. This is nothing new.

"We are very excited about the way the airport is moving forward and we believe this development will be of tremendous benefit to passengers."

Friday November 07, 2003