Plans for the construction of two new buildings in Charleroi Airport were unveiled on Thursday by Wallonia's budget minister Jean-Luc Crucke. Speaking to La Capital newspaper, Crucke said that in order to replace the marquee now serving as a transit zone, the possibility of erecting a building between the parking lot and the terminal's entrance was being considered.
The marquee has been in place since the 2016 Brussels bombings, in which coordinated terror attack across the city saw two suicide bombers blow themselves up in Brussels' Zaventem airport.
Initially put up temporarily, the structure has since done away with the kiss-and-go drop-off zones of the terminal, with only authorized vehicles allowed past a certain point.
Airport representatives told RTBF at the time that they nevertheless saw it as a necesary security measure meant to protect passengers while still ensuring staff could continue to check the thousands of travelers that go through the airport's doors every month.
The construction of an additional building for border police controls, as well as the setting-up of security stations in nearby parking lots, were also announced.
The minister's announcement follows the appointment of Philippe Verdonck as the new head of one of Belgium's busiest airports.
Verdonck, who assumed his new position on May 1, told local media that his plans for Charleroi Airport also included attracting new airlines to lower its dependence on budget aviation carrier Ryanair, as well as extending the runway to welcome intercontinental flights.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
