The huge airport in Spain getting a £1.1BILLION revamp ‘for tourists’ | UK | News
Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport airport is undergoing a major renovation to accommodate the arrival of British travelers following the introduction of the EU’s Entry-Exit system.
A new state-of-the-art area will be built to accommodate the influx of Brits using EES machines to take fingerprints and photographs.
The EES system was introduced last month. This means that facial images and four fingerprints of every non-EU traveler will be stored electronically to record their entry and exit from the Schengen area.
The Schengen area consists of 25 countries in the EU and four non-EU countries. Includes popular holiday destinations such as France, Croatia and Greece.
A total of 6.12 million British passengers used Alicante airport last year, meaning a lot of people will be using the new EES machines.
State-of-the-art baggage control equipment will also be installed so that liquids and electronic devices can be checked without having to be removed from hand luggage.
The improvements will cover the entire terminal area, including parking and roads. The size of the airport will increase by almost 30 percent.
The old terminal building will be demolished and the new terminal to be built in its place is expected to serve 26 million passengers annually.
Passengers can also expect automated conveyor belts, new shopping areas and a dedicated VIP lounge. The first part of the project will be completed in summer 2027, but wider improvements to the rest of the airport will continue until 2031.
