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Bristol Airport awards £30m terminal extension contract to Farrans
The airport expansion will include 17 retail units. Image: Farrans
Bristol Airport has awarded a £30m terminal extension project to contractor Farrans, a CIOB chartered company, as it continues with its plans to invest £400m to transform the airport experience for customers.
Work has already commenced on the two-floor terminal extension, which will infill an area between the existing terminal building and the departure gates. The new area will cater for an increase to 12 million passengers per year. There will be more space and almost double the number of shops and restaurants, with 17 new units being incorporated into the design. There will also be space for island retail units and more seating, designed with comfort in mind. The arrivals hall is also benefiting from a new domestic arrivals reclaim area with an additional baggage carousel and an increase in capacity by 20%. Accessibility in immigration will be improved with new lifts and stairs.
Farrans, in a joint venture with Griffiths, previously completed the new Public Transport Interchange at Bristol Airport on time and on budget in July 2025. The £60m project, also part of the Airport’s £400m investment, has enabled more sustainable journeys and sees around 250 public transport movements a day.
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Gerard Mcnamee, project manager at Farrans, said: “This is an exciting project, which will be completed in a live environment in which all passenger routes need to remain open at all times. We have an extensive aviation portfolio with projects under way at Leeds Bradford Airport, Stansted Airport and Bristol Airport at the moment, so we are well versed in working collaboratively with our clients to reduce any disruption. We will be installing insulated hoardings and creating air locked spaces to maintain passenger flow.
The new space will infill between the existing terminal building and the departure gates. Image: Farrans
“One of the most innovative features logistically for this project is that we will be using a Bailey Bridge, a modular military style bridge designed for rapid construction to temporarily bridge gaps, to bring our vehicles and equipment from land side to airside. We anticipate that at the peak of this project we will have approximately 150 people employed and many will be from local suppliers. As with our Public Transport Interchange scheme, we will be working with our client to deliver an impactful social value programme throughout the extension works.”
Andrew Goodenough, infrastructure director at Bristol Airport, said: “We have ambitious plans to transform our customer experience over the next couple of years. Floor space is going to increase by almost 45% and we’ll have a total of 38 retail and food and beverage outlets as well as a hidden speakeasy bar. We’re pleased to have Farrans back on site with us to deliver this project following the success of our Public Transport Interchange.”
The April 2026 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
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