A NEW international arrivals hall and departure lounges are lined up as part of a £32 million expansion at Bournemouth Airport.

Improved restaurants and shops, development of terminals, better public transport operations and more car parking are also included in the major revamp.

Work is due to start next summer and will continue over the next five years, although a detailed planning application has yet to be submitted.

The move comes as annual passenger numbers near the one million mark this year and as owners the Manchester Airport Group expect to handle three million passengers within the next decade.

Managing director Peter Duffy said that the group's shareholders had clearly shown their confidence in Bournemouth Airport'.

He added: "Around 970,000 passengers will pass through Bournemouth Airport this year and at peak times the passenger terminal is already close to capacity.

"It is estimated that we will be handling three million passengers within 10 years, so it is important that we start planning for this growth as soon as possible.

"By phasing the work over a four to five-year period we will be able to build in a logical, cost-effective manner which will match year-on-year growth as it occurs."

A detailed planning application is due to be submitted to Christchurch Borough Council in January.

The redevelopment programme will also include realignment of the east apron aircraft stands, infrastructure and utility service developments.

Airport officials said that while much of the work will be behind the scenes, visitors to the airport may start to see some changes next summer.

The first phase of the terminal redevelopment will focus on the construction of a new international arrivals hall, together with new departure lounges with improved catering and retail facilities for departing passengers.

The redevelopment comes after the boom in low-cost air travel. Eighty per cent of Bournemouth Airport's passengers travel on low-cost airlines.

The change has led to an increase in the number of overseas-based passengers using the airport.

Fifteen per cent of passengers are inbound visitors. Airport officials said that this has boosted the local economy and claimed that further expansion will help stimulate further investment and industry into the region.

Passenger numbers have gone up from 165,000 in 1996 to an estimated 970,000 in 2006.

At present the terminal at Bournemouth Airport occupies a total of 5,430 square metres. Within the proposed redevelopment programme approximately 1,200 square metres will be replaced and 4,600 square metres will be added.

Bruce Voss, who is head of operations at the South West of England Regional Development Agency for Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole, said: "We welcome this investment in enhancing Bournemouth airport.

"Our £1.2 million investment in 2002 to 2003 led the initial phase, which saw the introduction of a number of low-cost airlines."

The Manchester Airport Group (MAG) also owns East Midlands and Humberside Airports. It is the largest British-owned airport company in the UK and more than 28 million passengers pass through the four MAG airports each year.

The Group supports more than 130,000 jobs nationwide and contributes £3.2 billion to the UK economy.