An £8 million upgrade to the runways at Gloucestershire Airport – part of a £15 million investment in the Staverton site – marks a significant new chapter for the business, according to its managing director Karen Taylor.
VolkerFitzpatrick, which has worked on projects ranging from RAF airbases to Wembley Stadium, won the £8.1 million contract to resurface the runways at the county site and began work at the start of 2022.
The scheme is part of a £15 million ‘transformational investment’ at Gloucestershire Airport and includes installation of new runway lighting, upgrades to signs and drainage, new below-ground infrastructure and a new radar system.
The upgrades also allow for the permanent closure of the north/south runway, making way for the airport’s new business park, CGX Connect, a project managed by Gloucester specialists Vitruvius and part-funded by GFirst LEP.
Taylor said: ‘The successful completion of these upgrades heralds the start of a new chapter for Gloucestershire Airport – possibly the single most transformative period in our recent history.
‘These vital upgrades serve as the catalyst enabling us to actively explore additional revenue streams and realise our long-term strategy for sustainable growth.’
VolkerFitzpatrick worked on the scheme with Ridge & Partners LLP, project managers also involved in the University of Gloucestershire’s planed redevelopment of the former Debenhams building in the middle of Gloucester.
According to the airport, which is co-owned by Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council, it contributes an estimated £52 million annually to the local economy and has a key role to play in significant projects including the Golden Valley Cyber Development and Gloucester’s digital campus The Forum.
