A public consultation has been launched on plans to redevelop Copenhagen Airport (CPH) so that it is ready for “aircraft of the future and maintains its status as an efficient and attractive airport.”

The Danish airport’s latest masterplan outlines the need to develop the northern area of the site, close to its current terminals, as well as existing train, bus and metro infrastructure. Proposed work includes the construction of larger stands, improvements to taxiways and the expansion of the terminal area.

“We must be ready for the future and develop the airport so that we have the necessary capacity, among other things, for new modern aircraft types and passengers in the terminals,” CEO Thomas Woldbye said.

However, the planned work can only be done if the so-called cross runway—located at a right angle to the two parallel main runways—is shortened by 600 m (1,960 ft.) and moved 300 m in a south-easterly direction. Following this, the runway would only be used for take-offs and landings to and from Öresund, a strait which forms the Danish-Swedish border.

The framework has the support of airlines—including SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Norwegian and DAT—but it must be approved by the Danish parliament before construction can begin. A public consultation will therefore run until Feb. 26 before a bill is considered by parliament.

“Our development plans extend over a long number of years,” Woldbye said. “There are many different views on the development of the airport, and we respect them all.”

Copenhagen Airport handled 22.1 million passengers during 2022, up from 9.2 million the previous year. Pre-pandemic levels were 30.3 million in 2019.

The airport said that one in ten passengers travelled to Spain during 2022 with 2.2 million passengers, while the UK was its second largest market with 2 million.