Manchester Airport has marked 12 months since the start of the final phase of its £1.3bn transformation programme by looking at the important milestones reached in the last year.
Work started on the second phase of the programme in January 2023 and since then the airport has seen significant progress, including the creation of 500 new construction jobs, the demolition of Terminal 2’s old security and retail hall to make way for a brand new one and major developments on the airfield.
The first phase of the project started with the opening of the west side of the brand-new Terminal 2 – which has already won a prestigious design award, the Prix Versailles, which recognised it as one of the most beautiful airport buildings in the world.
Passenger feedback on the new Terminal has already been extremely positive – a survey of more than 1,000 passengers last summer that showed 93% of passengers rated their overall satisfaction as ‘good,’ ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.
The second phase focuses on the east side of Terminal 2 which is being brought in line with the award-winning west side and will feature 27 new shops, bars and restaurants – which will be announced in the spring.
Over the course of the next 18 months the second phase will see the completion of Terminal 2’s second pier that will increase the number of boarding gates and provide capacity for next generation aircraft and the giant Airbus A380. It will also see the completion of a new check in hall and brand-new security scanners, an extension of the departure lounge and the installation of a landmark piece of art made using the iconic old chandeliers that used to be in Terminal 1.
Once complete, Terminal 2 will become the airport’s main terminal and cater for over 70% of its passengers. It will also allow for the closure of Terminal 1.
The last 12 months have seen an incredible amount of work and it’s amazing to see the project really taking shape.
From the creation of more than 500 jobs, to the work to improve the way the airfield works – this is a huge project but one that will have so many benefits for our passengers.
We’ve already started to see some of the benefits of the programme, with our passengers who have used Terminal 2 giving amazing feedback and the award of the prestigious Prix Versailles.
And the exciting thing is that we’ve not even finished yet – so we’re looking forward to an epic 18 months ahead. We’re proud to connect the North to the world and are looking forward to passengers seeing everything we deliver.” says Jill Fraser, Manchester Airport Transformation Programme delivery director
