Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport airport is undergoing a massive renovation to handle the arrival of British passengers after the introduction of the EU’s Entry-Exit system.
A new area with state-of-the-art technology will be built to handle the influx of Brits using the EES machines for fingerprinting and photographs.
The EES system was introduced last month. It means that facial images and four fingerprints from every non-EU passenger will be stored electronically to register their entries and exits within the Schengen area.
The Schengen area is made up of 25 countries in the EU and four non-EU countries. It includes popular holiday destinations like France, Croatia and Greece.
A total of 6.12 million British passengers used Alicante airport last year, meaning a huge number of people will be using the new EES machines.
State-of-the-art baggage inspection equipment will also be installed so liquids and electronic devices can be checked without having to be removed from hand luggage.
Improvements will cover the entire terminal area, including the parking and roads. The size of the airport will increase by almost 30%.
The old terminal building will be demolished and the new terminal built in its place is expected to handle up to 26 million passengers annually.
Passengers can also expect automated conveyor belts, new shopping areas and an exclusive VIP lounge. The first part of the project will be completed by Summer 2027, but wider upgrades to the rest of the airport will continue until 2031.
