Used the new inbound passenger facilities a few days ago after the aircraft parked on stand 44 at 4 in the morning. The new lower level walk via the new pier is a big improvement on using the bus but I did note that the escalator was not working and that touching up work on the lower pier has yet to be finished.
The new immigration area is a bit soulless but much bigger than the old area with 9 inspection counters although only 2 were in use when I passed through.
The baggage reclaim area is still a total mess and a real disappointment. At the moment there are still only the 3 original baggage belts in use. Last year I am sure there were 4 but the location of the old domestic belt is now part of the route from immigration to the baggage hall so it has been removed. The new baggage belt that I mentioned a few weeks ago that ascends from the service road in between the new terminal and the new immigration hall doesn’t actually make it into the baggage hall. I could see it through a closed staff door so what it is going to be used for I haven’t a clue. Maybe this is the new domestic belt although I doubt it as domestic passengers would have to cross the path of international arriving passengers in the immigration hall to get to this belt. Also I could not see a passenger entrance only a staff door.
The baggage hall has a temporary wooden wall running through the length of it where the old immigration counters were located so it is clear that the baggage reclaim area is going to be expanded but what really lets the hall down is the state of the floor. The middle section of the hall still has those terrible plastic floor tiles, which wore out around 5 years ago and were randomly replaced with non-matching tiles. I really hope this section will be renewed with new stone tiles.
Our flight was the only flight waiting for luggage but with only 3 visible belts in use and short belts at that it must be a terrible place to be if passengers from 6 or 7 flights are all waiting for luggage.
One of the arriving passengers wanted to go through the red channel and declare something but this area was roped off and as there were no staff on duty in the green channel she got away with what ever she was carrying.