Alicante-Elche Airport expansion moves forward with new pier and border facilities

Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport has moved another step closer to a major expansion designed to increase capacity to at least 26 million passengers a year.

Airport operator Aena has awarded a €15.6 million design contract to a consortium formed by Sener Mobility, Cemosa and Fairbanks Arquitectos.

Central to the plans is a new boarding pier on the site of the airport’s old T1 building, which will be demolished along with the former General Aviation terminal.

New boarding pier will increase airport capacity

The new pier will extend from T2 and provide additional boarding gates and airbridges, allowing more passengers to walk directly between aircraft and the terminal.

The expansion is intended to provide the airport with the infrastructure needed to handle continued passenger growth and increase its overall capacity to at least 26 million travellers annually.

The extension will also include new shops and restaurants, together with a dedicated VIP lounge.

Changes will not be limited to the terminal itself, with improvements planned across several parts of the airport infrastructure.

New border-control facilities for British passengers

British travellers will be among the biggest beneficiaries of the expansion.

A centralised border-control area will be created specifically for passengers arriving from and travelling to countries outside the Schengen zone.

UK passengers are expected to form the largest group using the new facilities, reflecting the importance of British travellers to Alicante-Elche Airport.

The new arrangements will form part of the wider redesign as the airport prepares to accommodate considerably more passengers in the coming years.

More than €1 billion planned for Alicante-Elche Airport

The project forms part of a much wider investment programme, with around €1.154 billion earmarked for Alicante-Elche Airport between 2027 and 2031.

Other improvements include changes to car parks and access roads, upgraded aircraft taxiways and a new rapid-exit taxiway.

Together, the projects are designed to improve both passenger facilities and the operation of aircraft around the airport as traffic continues to grow.

However, passengers should not expect to see construction equipment arriving immediately.

The latest €15.6 million contract covers the detailed design work required before the expansion can move forward.

That work will be developed progressively over a period of up to five years, meaning the transformation will be a long-term project rather than an immediate change.

The awarding of the design contract nevertheless represents another significant step towards an expanded Alicante-Elche Airport capable of handling at least 26 million passengers each year.