Airport extension 'a first'

The bridge over a live taxiway will allow Boeing 747s to pass below

Work has begun on the construction of a £100m extension at Gatwick Airport described as the first of its kind in the world.

A pedestrian bridge will connect the pier to the North Terminal by spanning a live taxiway.

Aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 747-400 will be able to pass underneath, as passengers watch.

The Pier Six development is the biggest since the opening of the North Terminal in 1988.

Equipped with travelators and escalators, the bridge will mean fewer passengers have to be transferred to their plane by coach.

'Sign of confidence'

Work was originally planned to start on 11 September 2001 but was put on hold after the terror attacks on New York.

Robert Cato, managing director of BAA Gatwick, which owns the airport, said: "It is great news for everyone at the airport that work is starting again on Pier Six.

"This is a real sign of confidence in the future prosperity of Gatwick."

He said the development would be a "bold and unique" feature providing spectacular views for passengers across the taxiway.

The £100m project will mean fewer coach transfers for passengers

The pier will have 12 stands for aircraft and is expected to be used by 3.5 million passengers in its first year.

It is being pre-assembled at a site on the boundary of the airfield to minimise disruption to services.

Gatwick is at the centre of a debate on how to increase airport capacity in the UK, with a second runway at the site under consideration.

A government White Paper on meeting the huge growth in air travel expected over the next 30 years is due by the end of this year.

A £35m extension was opened at the same Gatwick terminal in November 2001.

The work, which took two years to complete, provided more retail space, extra seats for waiting passengers and additional catering facilities.