A substantial refurbishment effort has been completed at Copenhagen Airport; last week saw the Kastrup gateway officially open its new facilities in Pier C after nearly 14 months of construction and an investment of DKK 255 million (EUR 35 million).
Pier C is dedicated solely to intercontinental flights; officials from the airport said the move is part of an effort to cater to a growing number of travellers from outside the EU/Schengen region. In 2011, Copenhagen Airport hosted more than 22 million passengers, re-affirming its position as the largest such facility among the Nordic region, ahead of second-place Stockholm Arlanda Airport, which saw just over 19 million travellers last year.
The airport’s managing director Thomas Woldbye said in a statement, “The first impression of Denmark is very important so we have added 1,900 new square metres, which include an expansion of the airport security check area and more boxes for police passport control in Pier C. That will increase capacity by close to 50 per cent and reduce waiting times,” the Ekstra Bladet newspaper reports.
Similarly, Denmark’s Minister for Trade and Investment Pia Olsen Dyhr praised the upgrade: “An attractive airport with good connections is the path to growth. Export and foreign investment depend on customers and investors having positive connections with Denmark. So I hope that the Pier C expansion will lead to more airlines choosing to add routes to and from Copenhagen.”
A handful of airlines – notably Emirates, Air Canada and Singapore Airlines – have already made plans to expand Copenhagen services following the refurbishment of Pier C, according to a Copenhagen Post report issued on Friday.