London airports Heathrow and Gatwick splash USD six billion on revamp

London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports are spending almost USD six billion on makeover projects to stem an exodus of passengers and airlines put off by their crowded lounges and faded concrete, as per a Bloomberg report. At Heathrow, the roof will this month be added to a GBP 2.6 billion (USD 4.3 billion) replacement terminal reckoned by owner BAA Ltd to be Europe’s biggest building site. Gatwick, 43 miles away, has a GBP 1 billion spending plan that includes cladding one of its two ageing terminals in glass and steel. While the plans won’t immediately add capacity at the runway-restricted airports, BAA and Global Infrastructure Partners, Gatwick’s owner, say the spending is vital if they’re to retain flyers and lure back others lost to award-winning developments at hubs including Madrid, Munich and Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, which has an area four times that of Heathrow.