Manchester Airport has provided an update as work begins on its multi-million-pound project to revamp Terminal 3.
The new-look terminal will be bigger with 40% more seating, it will have a new entrance with more space and facilities, brand new security equipment, and new shops and places to eat and drink – and the first parts of it will be open to the public early next year.
The first part to open will be a new 469 seat sports bar named Sporting Chance. It will boast airfield views and show a range of sporting events.
The airport has also confirmed that the terminal will be home to a new Italian-themed restaurant called Terracotta. Both outlets will be operated by renowned airport specialists HMSHost UK, part of the Avolta group.
The update comes as work on the decade-long, £1.3bn project to rebuild and double the size of Terminal 2 comes to an end.
Terminal 2 will be fully open later this year and will be the airport’s main terminal, catering for more than 70% of its passengers.
That will enable the airport to close Terminal 1 and, because Terminals 1 and 3 are joined, use some of the space that becomes available to expand Terminal 3, improving the experience for passengers.
Manchester Airport announced the plans in May but now work on the project is well underway and brand-new computer-generated images show passengers what they have to look forward to when the project is fully complete.
Manchester Airport Managing director Chris Woodroofe said:
“Here at Manchester Airport we’re proud to connect the North to the world and we’re always looking at how we can improve the experience we provide to our passengers.
“Our 10 year, £1.3bn project to completely transform Terminal 2 is nearly finished and we know passengers who have already used it absolutely love it.
“And now we’re able to shift our focus to Terminal 3 where work has already begun. Our plan is to take advantage of the extra space that will be afforded by the closure of Terminal 1 to really improve the experience for passengers who fly from there.
“It’s great to see the work already underway and really exciting that passengers will start to see the benefits of it from early next year.”
The 10 year, £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2 is more than doubling the terminal’s size and creating a world-class passenger experience. An extension to the terminal opened in 2021, and the airport is now in the final stages of overhauling the original Terminal 2 building to bring it up to the same standard as the extension, mirroring the modern look and feel.
More than 70 per cent of the airport’s passengers will use the new facilities and Terminal 1 is set to close when the project is completed later this year.
The most recent milestones in the project have been the opening of new check-in desks, the new security hall and a new section of the departure lounge featuring a LEGO® store, Rituals, Pandora, Joe & the Juice, Starbucks and Upper Crust.
Further shops and restaurants are expected to open later this year – including Chanel, Grindsmith by WH Smith, a Fever Tree cocktail and champagne bar, and the Great Northern Market – a food court with a selection of street food options.
The finalised terminal will also include 13 new flexible aircraft stands and boarding gates, currently under construction, and a route linking the new security hall with the departure lounge will feature a chandelier installation, paying homage to the much-loved Venetian chandeliers that graced Terminal 1 in the 1980s and 1990s.
More than 30 million passengers have already travelled through the terminal extension since it opened in 2021, and last year it claimed a prestigious, UNESCO-backed Prix Versailles award recognising its outstanding design.