A new £2m investment into passenger facilities at Liverpool John Lennon Airport will see the creation of 200 jobs. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool John Lennon Airport is to invest £2m into its passenger facilities in a move that will see the creation of 200 new jobs.
LJLA will this year see its busiest summer season since before the pandemic in 2019 with flights to more than 60 destinations. May will see the launch of the new Lufthansa Frankfurt service that will offer a host on onward global destinations.
Airlines such as easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air will start their summer schedules at the end of March and work is well under way across parts of the airport terminal to enhance the shopping and dining experience for both departing and arriving passengers.
In the departure lounge, airport food and beverage operator SSP, which already operates a range of units to cater for passengers at the airport, will shortly be opening a new Upper Crust freshly baked baguette specialist store.
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Fashion sports retailer JD Sports is upgrading and expanding its unit to offer a wider range of goods. Popular high street bakery chain Greggs will shortly be opening a store at the airport for the first time, with a unit near the arrivals area along with a new WHSmith unit that includes a Marks & Spencer’s Food To Go offer for the first time.
Anumber of existing retailers will be re-opening in time for the Easter holiday period and the increase in flights. These include designer clothing retailer Traveller and restaurant brand Frankie and Benny’s, as well as several other food and beverage areas.
LJLA will also be introducing an enhanced parking offer for passengers with a new ‘Meet and Greet’ valet parking facility, enabling passengers to drop off their vehicles close to the terminal. Airport staff will park their car for them on site at the airport and then returning them ready for collection when passengers return.
These new facilities will create a further 200 jobs at the airport, which is in addition to over 200 vacancies that a host of employers at the airport recently filled, following a recruitment day held in January, attended by more than 750 people.
Lucy O’Shaughnessy, LJLA’s commercial director said: “It’s great to be opening units back up again and adding some fantastic new brands to the mix including Greggs and Upper Crust and we are really looking forward to welcoming back our regular passengers and hopefully many new ones too.
“These great new additions combined with the return of many of our popular existing shopping and food and drink areas will mean passengers have an even greater choice of quality passenger facilities in time for Easter and the summer season ahead, here at the region’s faster, easier, friendlier airport.”