Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) is expecting a much busier summer this year as it resumes operations after the covid pandemic and announced a £2m investment to introduce new passenger facilities.
With flights to over 60 destinations across Europe and the UK operating from Liverpool this summer, plus onward connections to a number of global destinations with the new Lufthansa Frankfurt service starting in May, passenger numbers at the airport are expected to be the highest since 2019.
Lucy O’Shaughnessy, LJLA’s Commercial Director, commented, ‘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.’
As the airlines commence their summer schedules at the end of March, work is underway around the airport terminal to enhance shopping and dining facilities for both departing and arriving passengers, creating new facilities in time for Easter and the first of the Summer season holiday periods.
In the Departure Lounge, airport food and beverage operator SSP will be opening a new ‘Upper Crust’ freshly baked baguette specialist store, while fashion sports retailer JD Sports will expand its premises to offer a wider range of sports clothing, footwear and accessories.
Bakery chain Greggs is set to open a store at the airport for the first time, with a unit near the Arrivals area for returning passengers and those waiting to ‘meet and greet’ friends and relatives, along with a new WHSmith unit that includes a Marks & Spencer’s Food To Go offer for the first time.
In addition, a number of existing retailers will be re-opening in time for the Easter holiday period. These include designer clothing retailer Traveller and popular restaurant Frankie and Benny’s, as well as several other food and beverage areas.
The airport 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, with airport staff parking their car for them on site at the airport and then returning them on return. In total, this £2m investment in these new facilities will also create a further 200 jobs at the airport, LJLA said.
