It's been 96 years in the making but Blackpool
finally has an airport it can truly call "international".
With 14 new check-in desks, new retail outlets and an open plan departure lounge, the £2m refurbishment of the Squires Gate terminal was opened yesterday to a packed audience of VIPs.
Fylde rugby legend Bill Beaumont officially opened the new terminal saying it was an airport fit for his rugby superstars.
The 54-year-old said Blackpool International Airport was now the major opposition to the other regional airports of Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon.
From humble beginnings in 1909, the airport now has three major low-cost airlines flying to 20 sunny European destinations.
Owners City Hopper Airports Ltd have invested millions into the terminal since buying it from Blackpool Council in a £13m deal in June 2004.
Paul Whelan, executive chairman of City Hopper, said: "We believe this is a blueprint for the future of regional airports and we are confident the investment we have put in will pay dividends over the next few years.
"We want to offer safe, convenient and low-cost flying to millions of people and we now have a terminal which can offer that.
"By 2010 we want to have six million passengers passing through the terminal. This year we hope to top the one million mark."
Low cost airlines Jet2.com, Monarch Scheduled and Ryanair fly daily out of the airport to top European destinations such as Majorca, Barcelona and Alicante.
The former England Rugby captain said: "It's an exciting time for the airport and I would much rather fly out of a terminal 10 minutes down the road than drive nearly two hours to be stuck in queues at one of the bigger airports."
Blackpool Council leader Roy Fisher said: "It's a tremendous boost to the regeneration plans for the resort.
"We took the strategic decision to sell the airport 18 months ago and today shows how much of a good decision it was."