Aéroports de Lyon officially kicked off construction on an ambitious new terminal building at Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport, where retail will play a big part in boosting non-aeronautical revenue.

 

Philippe Bernand, CEO of Aéroports de Lyon and Alain Rent, Chairman and CEO of GFC Construction, laid the first stone at Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport’s new Terminal 1 with various high-ranking officials in attendance, last week.

 

One of the key objectives of the new terminal is to boost non-aeronautical revenue prompting the planning of large shopping and service areas at the heart of the terminal.

 

Aéroports de Lyon says the new terminal will dedicate 10,000sq m to relaxation, recreation, shopping and dining. This central space, after security, will be designed around a ‘plaza’, which has three functions.

 

Aerial view: Artist’s impression of the new terminal.

 

The retail offer will comprise: a 1,300sq m walkthrough duty free shop; 1,200sqm of various other shops in various sizes; 1,500sq m of restaurants (organized in a food court) and bars; 3,000sq m for the central region or landscaped plaza.

 

Designed by architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the new 70,000sq m terminal will double the current size of the airport and will accommodate up to 15m passengers in 2020.

 

The project addresses four main objectives: service quality, operational efficiency to maximize competitiveness; growth in non-aeronautical revenues and increasing the capacity for air operators developing in Lyon-Saint Exupéry.

 

An artist’s impression of the new 70,000sqm terminal.

 

The project represents a total investment of €180m and will be conducted in two phases: the first will involve the building of the new terminal and the second phase will see it connected to the existing Terminal 1.

 

Aéroports de Lyon says that it aims for Lyon-Saint Exupéry to eventually become the second gateway into France and ‘the preferred starting point for south-eastern France’.

 

“The construction of a new terminal is essential to meet the growth in traffic and bring to the Lyon-Saint Exupéry capacity and quality of service it needs for the decade to come,” says the operator.

 

“The future Terminal 1 will represent a new area of 70 000sqm, equivalent to that of all existing terminals together.”