Francisco SA Carneiro (Oporto) Airport, Porto, Portugal

Francisco SA Carneiro Airport, also known as Oporto Airport, is the third-busiest airport in Portugal based on aircraft movements and also for passenger numbers (after Lisbon and Faro). The airport is situated 11km from the city of Porto to the northwest and is managed and operated by the national airport company Aeroportos de Portugal SA (ANA).

The airport has had a number of names in its history and the latest sees it named after a Portuguese politician who died in a plane crash on his way to the airport.

Oporto Airport (one passenger and one cargo terminal) has one asphalt paved runway, oriented to 17/35 and 11,417ft (3,479m) long. Previously, the terminal was capable of handling just over three million passengers.

TERMINAL EXPANSION

The airport company ANA became concerned about the projection of passenger traffic figures in 2003 and a plan was formulated to increase capacity at the airport. It was determined that the passenger terminal with only 60 check-in desks, 17 gates and two luggage claim areas was woefully inadequate to handle the projected passenger numbers for 2010 of six million.

A new terminal building worth €108m (covered by a loan from the European Investment Bank) was planned to increase capacity to the required six million. The new glass and concrete structure was built between 2003 and 2006 and was opened in the fourth quarter of 2006.

The new facility has increased the amount of space at the airport for check-in; there are two additional luggage carousels and more space for retail concessions and facilities such as coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Other facilities associated with the terminal are a two-level underground car park (1,000 spaces) and a 500-space ground-level car park.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

The redevelopment of the airport was designed by one of Portugal's main architects and design build consultants, ICQ. The ground-breaking design involving five central skylights in the centre of the main terminal roof was constructed by the engineers WS Atkins.

The five innovative glazed skylights measuring 15m wide by 40m long use the Macalloy 460 tendon system for their support. The concept behind the skylights was to provide maximum natural daylight in the terminal to extenuate the features of the design.

The terminal also has a glass wall looking towards the airside so that departing passengers can view aircraft.

The main building structure of the terminal's extension also contains Macalloy 460 tendons bracing and supporting the structure. AIRTEAM Ltd, the Fläkt Woods representative in Portugal, supplied the ventilation equipment for the Porto Airport project. The order included 76 Air Handling Units of various sizes ranging from size EU 22 up to EU 63 and 209 Floormaster (20 supplied).

OTHER PROJECTS

There were additional projects which came to fruition in 2006 including a new air traffic control tower, which needed to be built to make room for the air terminal extension.

Another 2006 project was a new air cargo logistics centre constructed at the western end of the runway. Construction here produced an operations area, a freight receiving area and an access area for ground vehicles. The area also required a new lighting system for safe operation at night.

Further expansion at the cargo centre will see a 3,000m² warehouse constructed in the near future. A further project which was recently finished in mid-2007 is the new training ground for the airport fire service.