New £66M terminal at RAF Akrotiri

Air July 12, 2023

A new Passenger Handling Facility will be developed at RAF Akrotiri following the award of a £66M contract.

The new terminal will be developed alongside new freight buildings including a larger arrivals and departures lounge as part of the APOLLO Programme, which is designed to upgrade the infrastructure of MOD sites in Cyprus.

The contract – awarded by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and UK Strategic Command (UKStratCom) to Cyprus Service Provider – will see construction commence later this year, with completion of the new facility planned for late 2026. Demolition of the existing building will take place the following year.

RAF Akrotiri is an important military base which has supported a huge variety of operations including the recent evacuation of British nationals from Sudan.

As the island is in an earthquake zone, the programme is replacing or strengthening those buildings which are not seismically compliant, and in doing so is providing many improved and new facilities for service personnel and their families.

The existing Passenger Handling Facility dates back to the 1960s and is no longer large enough to comfortably handle the number of people transported on modern RAF passenger aircraft. It was built for VC-10 Aircraft, which carried 131 passengers, but their replacement, RAF Voyagers, carry 291 passengers and 14 crew, meaning departure and arrival lounges are often crowded.

The design also includes a bigger check in area with an additional check in desk and a larger security scanning area, as well as four, instead of two immigration desks.

Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge said: “RAF Akrotiri is an incredibly busy overseas base, supporting operations in the region and beyond – including the recent evacuation from Sudan – and this £66 million investment will significantly improve these facilities for our personnel and their families.

“I’m proud that our dedicated teams in the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and UK Strategic Command have kept up the momentum to continue upgrading our sites in Cyprus.”

Unlike the existing building, the new Passenger Handling Facility will include a basic aeromedical facility, where patients can be held while awaiting an onward flight. It has been designed to minimise energy use, using features such as solar control glazing and intelligent lighting controls, and will utilise solar PV renewable energy. Other sustainable features incorporated in the design include infrastructure for electric vehicle charging, rainwater harvesting and the use of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems in the car park area.

Chris Wood, DIO’s Project Manager, said: “It’s exciting to have awarded this contract for one of the largest projects the Apollo team will be undertaking as part of this programme. As well as reducing the earthquake risk to as low as we feasibly can, this new facility will be much more comfortable will operate more efficiently than the building it will replace. I look forward to continuing to work hand-in-glove with my colleagues in UK Strategic Command and industry to deliver this fantastic new facility.”

The project will also create hundreds of jobs in the area, with CSP employing personnel from across the island’s communities, as well as specialists from the UK.

Supporting the Government’s priority to grow the economy, UK companies are also benefitting from this contract award. CSP has embarked on a joint programme with UK based design partner, Ridge and Partners LLP, to develop a full design for the facilities at RAF Akrotiri, and people, material and equipment will also be sourced within the UK market.

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CSP Cyprus DIO Passenger Handling Facility RAF Akrotiri