WESTRALIA Airports Corporation continues to enjoy the state’s boom conditions, with passenger numbers climbing more than 12 per cent to four million in the half-year to December 31 2006. Perth Airport executive chair David Crawford also announced a $300,000 upgrade of Terminal 3, which currently services Virgin Blue, Skywest, Alliance Airlines and from next month, OzJet. The terminal’s floor plan will be re-configured, opening up 330 square metres of floor space, allowing more seating areas and providing opportunity to add more retail outlets. The upgrade is part of a four-year, $275 million capital works program announced late last year. Mr Crawford said Western Australia’s continued resources boom remained a significant driving force for the record-breaking passenger numbers, facilitated by an increasing number of airlines, flights and destinations. “The volume is mainly coming from domestic and regional travellers, with an increase of 15.5 per cent on what was already a record base,” he said. According to Mr Crawford: “growth in the second quarter of this financial year was particularly strong at 9.3 per cent for international and 18.5 per cent for domestic [travel].” Work on the three-month project is expected to start in April, with the terminal functioning normally throughout that time.