Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport is undergoing the first phase of the opening of their new terminal. Terminal 1 has been able to welcome its first set of passengers last week and is expected to be fully functional by 2018. The new space measures over 70,000 sq. m. and is expected to double the size of the Lyon Airport.

The new space will mean that more services can be added to the airport. There will also be a quality of service offered that will equal the best airports in the world. It has been thought that the new section will be opened in three separate phases.

The new part of the Terminal will be referred to as Terminal 1 Hall B. The airlines that will be flying out of the new area include EasyJet, Transavia, Air Arabia and Pegasus airlines. There will be a new esplanade that will work as the entry point for passengers and there will be some changes made to the road links around the airport. Another part of the work on the airport will be the demolition of the old check-in area for Terminal 3. This section will be replaced by a connecting area for the new and old parts of Terminal 1.

By September this year it is thought that the new Terminal 1 will open to provide low cost flights on conventional airline companies for its passengers from the new Hall B. There will also be new spaces created as part of the development, including the Place des Lumières which will be a 10,000 sq. m. shopping, eating and relaxing area within the airport.

It is predicted that all the construction work at the airport will be complete by the Summer of 2018. This means that the final piece of construction, a liaison area that will connect Hall A and Hall B of the airport will be completed. When all the work is finished the capacity of the airport will increase to 15 million by 2020.