Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has opened the doors to Teesside International?s first passengers of the summer season, unveiling the airport?s completed multi-million pound terminal redevelopment.
The new-look airport has been overhauled and upgraded with new check-in desks, and a reconfigured security area with state-of-the-art body and baggage scanners to make passing through smoother and more hassle-free than ever.
Passengers can now relax in one of two luxury lounges, or in new food and drink outlets, including the Landside Caf?, The Transporter Bar and Kitchen and The Goosepool bar. They can spend time picking up something from local producers at boutique store House of Zana and Rejoy ahead of a new duty-free store, run by World Duty Free, opening soon.
Some of the first passengers to try out the new facilities were jetting off to Palma, Majorca. The flight kicks off Teesside?s summer schedule, which also includes Alicante, Corfu and Faro in Portugal - all launching in the coming days.
Mayor Houchen said: ?When we first brought this airport back into public control, we knew the massive potential that it possessed, but a lack of commitment and funding for years left it looking dated and stuck in the past. It simply wasn?t fit for purpose to process the hundreds of thousands of new passengers we?re working to attract as part of our ten-year turnaround plan.
Since lockdown restrictions have been eased in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Teesside International is working with all airline partners to reintroduce its full slate of flights as soon as possible.
Loganair are currently serving Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Newquay and London Heathrow, with a third daily Monday to Friday Heathrow service recently announced to begin next month, alongside Jersey in the coming weeks.
