A MULTI-MILLION pound expansion plan for Leeds Bradford Airport could get under way in the next few months.

Work on the extension to the arrivals section of the

airport, which already has planning permission, is set to start in April next year, to be completed in time for summer 2000.

The extension will double the size of the existing arrivals section, with facilities for

passengers to be available on two floors, including an enlarged baggage reclaim area and an improved customer lounge.

The redevelopment has been made possible after transport minister Dr John Reid announced government plans to allow local authority-owned airports to borrow money on a commercial basis.

Though official permission is yet to be given for the scheme, Dr Reid said it was simply a formality for an airport such as Leeds Bradford, given the known robustness of its finances.

Subject to parliamentary approval, the £6.7 million scheme will go ahead in the next few months to complement the overhaul of the airport's departures section which was completed this summer.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.