Main Terminal Building

Some of the shopping facilities available on the Level 3 landside area (MM)

The original building on the present site was opened in 1986 with a design capacity of 650,000 passengers per annum. The facilities provided, with some minor alterations, proved adequate until 1995 when Direct Holidays commenced a summer charter operation. Since then, other charter companies (see Airline Information - Schedule and Charter page) have introduced holiday flights which, together with the decision by easyJet to locate its northern base at Liverpool, resulted in further alterations and enlargement of this building. The passenger figures for the last few years clearly demonstrate the continuing need for improving facilities (see passenger figures table at the end of this page or click here )

A major expansion to the terminal building was constructed during 2001/2. This new building has completely enveloped the old terminal which has been modernised to the same standard. The result has been a trebling of the previous floor area. The total cost was in excess of £30 million.

At a Press Conference held on 2 July 2001 it was announced that, to coincide with the opening of the new facilities, the airport would be renamed the "Liverpool John Lennon Airport". A new logo (see photo below) featuring John Lennon's scribbled self-portrait with the words "above us only sky" taken from his song "Imagine" has been adopted. The Press Conference was attended by his widow, Yoko Ono.

On 15 March 2002 Yoko Ono returned to the airport to officially rename it and also to unveil a 7 foot high bronze statue of John Lennon (see photograph below). She was accompanied by Cherie Booth QC, a distinguished barrister and the wife of Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Tony Blair MP.

On 25 July 2002, the new expanded terminal building was officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen who unveiled a commemorative plaque on the Level 2 walkway, close to the John Lennon statue (see photograph below).

Her Majesty the Queen unveils the plaque commemorating her opening the new expanded terminal building. Looking on is airport chairman, Robert Hough. (LJLA)

John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, is presented to the Queen accompanied by the John Lennon statue sculptor, Tom Murphy, left and airport chairman, Robert Hough, right. (LJLA)

A new control tower has been constructed and came into use in January 2002.

Readers who would like to see a photographic record of the construction of the new expanded terminal are recommended to look at the North West Air News website which can be accessed from our "Links to Related Internet Web Sites" page.

The terminal building has been further expanded westwards. Although not intended to be permanent, the alterations have been made to provide a quick solution to increase the departure gate areas and speed up the flow of passengers. New overbridges now serve some of the departure gates and these will take passengers straight down to the aircraft.

An extension to the shopping area has been constructed on Level 3 landside. This has been achieved by building out over the Check-In Desks and this new area is on the left of the second escalator. Most units are already occupied. Space has also been created for more general seating.

A new car park has been constructed to the west, i.e. on the right hand side of the dual carriageway as you approach the airport, and is now in use. It will accommodate over 2000 cars. A noise attenuation bund has been built to help suppress aircraft and vehicle noise from the nearby National Trust's Speke Hall. More bus bays have been built in front of the terminal.

These improvements will allow the passenger throughput to increase to the current permitted maximum 6 million passengers.

The main car park has been extended to accommodate approximately 4000 cars. This car park also has a Drop-off zone and a multi-storey short stay car park which are nearest the terminal building. There is also 2000 space long stay car park, on the opposite side of the dual carriageway (Long Stay 2) . See the Airport Terminal Information page for full details.

In July 2005, the airport became the new home for the "Yellow Submarine", made famous by the Beatles song. This 25 ton structure is located outside the Arrivals area of the terminal building. It was built for the 1984 International Garden Festival in Liverpool by apprentices from the Cammell Laird shipbuilding yard in Birkenhead, now sadly closed.

The "Hampton by Hilton" is directly opposite the Terminal building. - see photograph below.

A new landside freight centre, located off the Hale Road towards the General Aviation area, has been completed and is occupied by TNT.

Aprons and Hangars
The apron in front of the terminal building has been considerably extended in a westerly direction to provide several remote aircraft parking stands. These are used, in the main, by the air freight operators at the airport. Four new hangars have been completed (two Boeing 737 size and two smaller). Behind these, more aircraft parking stands have been constructed and are served by a dedicated passenger departure area connected to the main terminal by a covered walkway with lifts at either end.

A new apron for light aircraft has been constructed at the eastern end of the airfield. Liverpool Flying School and Ravenair have built their own hangars adjacent to this apron.

Old Terminal Building and Hangars
Crowne Plaza Liverpool - John Lennon Airport:
This grade 2 listed building, on the old northern airfield, was formerly the old terminal and had been unused since 1986. However, it was converted and extended into this magnificent four star hotel, retaining its 1930's art deco style. It opened for business on 14 May 2001 as the Liverpool Marriott Hotel South and officially opened by HRH The Duke of York on 29 June 2001. It provides much needed hotel accommodation for visitors to the adjoining Estuary Business Park as well as existing and new businesses in the locality and, of course, airline crew and passengers requiring stop-overs. A Park and Fly facility is also available. The aircraft standing in front of the hotel entrance (see photo below) is a replica of the DH Dragon Rapide used on the first passenger services. This replica was built by the North West Aviation Heritage Museum Group (NAHM) locally on the Wirral but now maintained by the Jetstream Club (see below)

Compare this with the photograph below taken some 43 years earlier on 23 February 1965. The original wings on either side of the front entrance are now obscured by two new wings, built in the same style, to provide additional bedroom accommodation when converted into the hotel. The original terminal was constructed between 1937 and 1939 and was never officially opened due to the impending war.

Hangars:
Two hangars remain on site and have been brought back into use by expert and sympathetic conversion because they are also Grade 2 listed buildings. The former No 1 hangar on the right, as viewed from the front of the hotel, is a David Lloyd Sports Centre and its facilities are available for use by hotel guests. The one on the left (now called "Skyways House") is the original No 2 Hangar and is the Head Office of the Littlewoods Home Shopping Organisation.

Static Aircraft:
At the rear of the hotel, on the old apron, stand some interesting old aircraft , maintained by The Jetstream Club, a branch of the Wirral Aviation Society. The first to arrive was a British Aerospace J41 which has been fitted with a simulator in the cockpit which allows users to "fly" the aircraft from Liverpool and many other airports around the world. The simulator also allows the "pilot" to use his imagination and substitute the aircraft for many other types.

Also on the apron is a Bristol Britannia which was brought to this site from Kemble in Gloucestershire during 2007. The aircraft was at one time operated by British Eagle, who had a base in Liverpool until they went out of business in 1968, is registered G-ANCF, or "Charlie Fox" for short. The Jetstream Club are currently working on it with the long term aim to restore it as a static exhibit in full British Eagle colours.

More exhibits are expected on the site, space permitting and subject to permission from the Crowne Plaza Hotel, of course.

European Objective One Funding
The improvements to the existing terminal, car park, aprons and hangars have all secured substantial grant aid from the European Union.

Passenger Figures back to 1932...

Year	Total Passengers	Year/Year % Increase
2012	4,510,433	-14.99%
2011	5,305,691	4.53%
2010	5,027,539	1.61%
2009	4,948,046	-8.11%
2008	5,384,753	-2.46%
2007	5,520,283	11.04
2006	4,971,452	12.56
2005	4,416,751	31.46
2004	3,359,839	5.63
2003	3,180,801	12.01
2002	2,839,636	25.74
2001	2,258,341	13.68
2000	1,986,589	51.94
1999	1,307,515	49.39
1998	875,222	26.63
1997	691,157	10.39
1996	626,101	23.56
1995	506,723	13.99
1994	444,534	-5.5
1993	470,399	0.83
1992	466,534	-4.44
1991	488,208	-5.45
1990	516,373	12.68
1989	458,266	27.27
1988	360,078	5.41
1987	341,591	28.91
1986	264,975	1.83
1985	260,214	12.25
1984	231,813	-3.29
1983	239,708	-5.68
1982	254,151	-10.32
1981	283,396	-26.82
1980	387,250	-37.33
1979	617,947	103.9
1978	303,066	9.57
1977	276,603	-23.07
1976	359,560	-20.12
1975	450,101	-13.31
1974	519,233	-11.5
1973	586,723	7.83
1972	544,106	4.69
1971	519,745	17.76
1970	441,341	7.32
1969	411,228	-9.44
1968	454,088	-4.83
1967	477,125	-0.57
1966	479,844	7.91
1965	444,682	18.43
1964	375,495	20.74
1963	311,007	6.04
1962	293,293	16.66
1961	251,415	41.9
1960	177,177	30.56
1959	135,701	-0.72
1958	136,681	-8.94
1957	150,100	6.04
1956	141,552	14.36
1955	123,776	20.71
1954	102,544	16.95
1953	87,682	4.69
1952	83,755	-0.22
1951	83,942	8.73
1950	77,204	-7.38
1949	83,352	11.44
1948	74,795	13.23
1947	66,058	11.64
1946	59,173	16.15
1945	50,944	not av.
1944	not av.	not av.
1943	not av.	not av.
1942	19,075	not av.
1941	not av.	not av.
1940	14,189	67.52
1939	8470	-32.65
1938	12,577	-6.89
1937	13,508	-15.78
1936	16,038	-6.29
1935	17,114	232.63
1934	5145	41.27
1933	3642	1533.18
1932	223

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