Cardiff Airport has unveiled plans for further improvements to the terminal and car park facilities with an investment of £4m which will see projects completed in time for next summer.

The works will transform the experience for customers both arriving to and departing from Wales’s national airport, continuing developments since the change of ownership in 2013.

The next phase of investment plans for the terminal include:

• A Costa Coffee in the Arrivals Hall for those arriving to Wales or friends and family waiting to collect others

• Opening additional seating areas in the Departure Lounge, providing further space to relax before the flight and enjoy views of the airfield

• A Costa Coffee in the Departure Lounge, expanding the choice for customers alongside the existing Caffé Ritazza and The Beer House

• Increased retail space, allowing for a larger WH Smith store, with additional product ranges including ‘Well’ pharmacy

• Expanding the Executive Lounge, allowing for additional seating meaning more customers can take advantage of the exclusive facilities before they fly

• Upgrading the hold baggage screening system to meet enhanced security requirements.

Outside of the terminal building customers will also see a number of changes to the car park and car hire facilities, including:

• New ‘meet & greet’ car parking for customers with a dedicated area for drop off and pick up close to the terminal building

• New car hire centre close to the terminal building.

Passenger numbers are currently 1.44 million, which is +7 per cent for the rolling year to the end of September 2017. Cardiff Airport is expecting continued passenger growth for 2018 and beyond, aided by the recent announcement of Qatar Airways to launch a daily service connecting Wales to the World via Doha, starting on May 1, 2018.

Deb Barber, CEO at Cardiff Airport, said: “We are delighted to share our plans for the airport development as it shows our commitment to achieve our vision of being an outstanding capital city airport delivering an exceptional customer experience.

“We have achieved a huge amount over the last few years and improved the experience for our customers but know there is still much more we can do to ensure we exceed expectations.

“The latest investment will significantly transform the experience for customers, offering more choice and quality in modern, welcoming surroundings. This is especially important at a time when we are experiencing passenger growth and working with our airline partners to introduce more choice in services for our customers.

“We look forward to the projects being completed over the coming months and our customers enjoying the new facilities next summer.”

Works will start in October 2017.