A FIRST-look at how Teesside Airport will become a "premium airport" as more airlines and destinations arrive has revealed what major changes will take place.
The Northern Echo went behind the scenes to look at the parts of the terminal, being brought back into use, that have been hidden away for the past several years.
READ MORE: The parts of Teesside Airport that haven't been publicly seen for several years
The airport is undergoing a multi-million pound transformation, which is understood to be the first in more than 15 years, and will see a number of major changes.
It is part of the airport's ten-year plan to bring back a number of airlines, including low-cost carriers, and to overhaul Teesside Airport in a bid to "move back into profit."
Revealing how Teesside Airport will be transformed by April 2021, the Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said the works would be carried out in three phases.
He said: "We've got the flights with TUI, Loganair and now Ryanair, starting next year and we need to make sure the passenger experience is a good one when people are travelling through the airport."
The first phase, which will involve the refurbishment of the Skylife Lounge, will see a partnership between Darlington's Rockliffe Hall Hotel and the airport to provide a 'business' lounge with staff trained to the five-star hotel's "standards."
Meanwhile a second lounge, the Middleton Lounge, will be opened in a previously closed-off part of the departure hall and will be aimed at families and offer passengers buffet-style food.
Mr Houchen said a local chain of restaurants would be opening within the existing bar area, while a brand-new coffee shop and cocktail bar will be added.
In addition the duty free store will be refurbished and reopened, the security hall refitted, and a dedicated check-in area, departure hall and gate for Ryanair opened.
Mr Houchen said: “We’ve got the flights now, and now we need to increase revenue in the airport, we need to break even, we need to move back into profit and these new offerings will help us do that."
Mr Houchen added that the airport was looking to work with independent businesses to help operate the newly-created amenities.
Since the refurbishment work began, the airport has contracted a number of firms from across Teesside, Darlington and County Durham to help complete the task.
Middlesbrough-based Cocoon & Bauer have designed the interiors of the two new airport lounges, while Darlington-based Corstorphine & Wright have been the architects involved.
Simon Crowe, Director of Corstorphine Wright, said: “The airport was dated, it hasn’t really had any serious development for around 15 to 12 years, so it is right now for some TLC.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity, we're based in Darlington, we are 15 mins away and this – we fully understand the strategic importance of the airport for the region, I’ve worked here for 30 years I know how important the airport is and it’s a fantastic opportunity for this redevelopment.
“The initial designs that we’ve done they seem very pleased, let's just see how the public react."
Peter Turner, Managing Director of Cocoon & Bauer, said the firm was taken on following a message to the Tees Valley Mayor via social media.
He said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with the airport in delivering something which will no doubt assist with its continued growth.
"Our initial tweet to Ben to offer our services for free was to give something back to the area I have a huge passion for and want to see succeed.
"The result is an inviting, sophisticated and modern interior which will live up to the quality expected from a Rockliffe venue.”
Until the refurbishment works commenced, much of the airport had been been blocked off and unused following the departure of a number of airlines towards the turn of the decade.
Among them, the old Thomson check-in desks and a former restaurant area with its own dancefloor have remained hidden behind closed doors.
READ MORE: The parts of Teesside Airport that haven't been publicly seen for several years
Mr Houchen said that he expected the operational areas to further expand into those areas as passenger numbers start to rise.
He said: "We're ahead of schedule on the ten-year plan, we originally expected to get a low-cost carrier in 2022.
"We've got them now and we expect to see a build in revenue – there's dead space that we can still use."
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