Re: LUTON
Expanding the terminal southwards will also be a major challenge. At the moment the undercroft service road descends from the entrance to the drop off area and takes a sharp left hand turn passing under the taxi rank before taking a sharp right hand turn and follows a path under the front of the terminal. The existing terminal is actually a 4 story building although most people only consider it to be on two floors. The two lower floors contain amongst other things the baggage belts and baggage shoots to the baggage trucks and is classed as airside.
The expansion will allow the construction of additional check-in desks but what will happen to the luggage? The taxi rank is actually a bridge so for the luggage to descend to apron level and remain airside I can’t see any other option than closing the existing route and creating a new one. The existing service road will need to remain open to service the terminal while a new route is created.
So job number one before any terminal construction work can take place will be to build a new drop off area away from the terminal, which will end up fronting the terminal when the terminal is complete.
The last time the airport shifted the drop off area the great British public decided they preferred the roundabout as a drop off area as they didn’t like heading in the opposite direction to the terminal. This will then stop construction traffic from getting in as well as causing more congestion.
Maybe the solution will be to set up a drop off area and short term car park on the other side of the tunnel and bus the passengers in while the building work is taking place. Project 2030 does show that the final solution will be a drop off area and short term car park in what is now the mid term car park.
A simple solution would be to make the bus station the drop off area and shift the busses and coaches.
Last edited by King Pong; 14th Jan 2006 at 13:20.