Farrans Construction is to continue its upgrade of Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) after picking up the contract for phase two of the programme.
The contractor will increase the airport’s floorspace by nearly 40 per cent, which also includes a full refurbishment of the existing airport terminal.
It is already onsite in phase one of the project, which involves the construction of a 9,500 square-metre three-storey terminal extension.
This work will be completed this spring for handover in the summer, according to a statement from the airport
Phase two will be delivered in stages so the terminal building can be used during construction work. It will also link the new terminal from phase one to the refurbished terminal.
As part of the refurbishment, the contractor will add new staircases, lifts and escalators and will construct new security and arrivals facilities, and a new World Duty Free retail area.
Farrans expects to complete work on phase two in late 2026.
Farrans will also install all electric heating, lighting and machinery systems, including new baggage belts, to the existing and new airport. LBA said that will enable it to reduce its intensity ratio from 0.3 to 0.25 kilograms of carbon dioxide per airport passenger. It has committed to becoming a net zero-carbon airport by 2030.
Data intelligence provider Glenigan gives a construction value of £100m for the entire project but neither LBA nor Farrans would confirm this.
More work will be required beyond the second phase, but the airport declined to offer more details.
Glenigan has named structural steel provider Elland Steel, groundworks firm Howard Civil Engineering and roofing specialist Thornton Roofing among the subcontractors on both phases. Irwin Electrical is the mechanical and electrical subcontractor.
The airport upgrade programme is part of LBA’s Vision 2030 strategy, which will include private investment of £200m and contribute £940m to the local economy, according to LBA. The plan includes a commitment for 1,500 new direct jobs at the airport and a further 4,000 indirect jobs.
Farrans regional director Cathal Montague said the project will have “long-term benefits for this region”.
“Our experience in the aviation sector has enabled us to work collaboratively with our client to ensure the airport’s operations have continued without disruption, and we will be putting in place similar plans as we move forwards into phase two,” he added.
The project has been on the cards since 2021, when the airport received planning permission for a £150m expansion. At the time, the airport planned to replace its 50-year-old terminal with a new building, but then changed its plans to construct a new terminal and refurbish the existing one.
Farrans’ parent firm Northstone NI was ranked 35th in the CN100 2024 table of top contractors, based on turnover of £540m in the 2022 calendar year.
After a restructuring in May 2023, its latest accounts for that year showed turnover that year of £512.5m and pre-tax profit of £8.2m.
Farrans’ appointment to the LBA job was announced the day before Heathrow announced a “multibillion-pound investment programme”.
The UK hub intends to expand with new terminal buildings, a third runway and associated infrastructure.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves last month backed plans to add the third runway at Heathrow.
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Joshua Stein