Manchester Airport to revamp Terminal 3

Above: Computer generated image of the new T3 at Manchester Airport.
Courtesy MAG

The project will remodel the entrance to the terminal, the security hall and the departure lounge – creating extra space for passengers and for new retailers, as well as updating the look and feel of the building.

The Northern hub launched its ambitions transformation programme in 2015. It involves doubling the size of Terminal 2 and closing Terminal 1 but now the airport has set out how it plans to use some of the space in Terminal 1 after it closes to expand the adjoining Terminal 3.

Key elements of the investment in Terminal 3 are:

• A new entrance to the terminal with more space, easier access and better facilities
• Brand new security equipment
• 40% more seating capacity in the departure lounge
• New shops and food and drink outlets
• A new 500 seat bar area with airfield views
• An expanded dining area with 200 extra seats
• More shops and facilities landside in the arrivals area of the terminal

The key part of the airport’s decade long, £1.3 billion transformation programme is the brand-new Terminal 2.

The first phase of the programme saw an extension added to the existing Terminal 2 building to double its size. That extension opened in 2021 and has now served more than 30m passengers and won the prestigious UNESCO-backed Prix Versailles award for architecture and design.

The second phase of the project is due for completion later this year and brings the existing part of the building up to the same standard as the extension, with the addition of more than 20 new retailers, bars and restaurants.

Once it is complete, the new terminal is set to become the beating heart of the airport, with more than 70% of all passengers eventually using it.

Terminal 1 as it currently exists will close – but Manchester Airport has now set out details of how it will retain parts of the building to give Terminal 3 a bigger footprint. Both terminals are joined together.

Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said: “We are proud to connect the people of the North to the world – and our transformation programme means that our passengers will be able to enjoy an airport experience that rivals that of any European capital city.

“The work we’ve done in Terminal 2 is there for all to see – and we’ve already won the prestigious Prix Versailles award for its architecture and design. But until now we haven’t talked about our plans for Terminal 3.

“Moving to a two-terminal airport is giving us a great opportunity to use some of the existing Terminal 1 space to increase the footprint of Terminal 3. We’re doing that as well as making some all round improvements to Terminal 3 – so passengers will enjoy new security technology, more space, more seats, new retail and food and drink and more.

“It’s another exciting step towards delivering an even better experience for our passengers and I can’t wait to see it progress.”

The announcement comes at the same time as the airport has reached a number of other key milestones in its transformation programme – which began in 2015 and will be complete later this year.

Among them is that check in desks in the newest section of Terminal 2 have now opened – soon to be followed by the new security hall. Retail spaces in the new part of the terminal have been handed over to the brands that will run them so they can be fitted out, ready to open later this year.

Work to build a brand-new road near Terminal 2 has is ongoing. Sydney Avenue will be a new link road near the Thorley Lane entrance to the airport site. The new road will replace the existing Sydney Avenue and will improve traffic flow around the area.

The first trials of new taxiways on the airfield have also passed by successfully. The new taxiways allow for more aircraft movements on the airfield and represents a significant step in opening the full capacity of the new terminal.

External work on the new pier on Terminal 2 – the second pier – has also been made completed, taking it a significant step closer to completion. The piers on the terminal are structures that extend from the main building and are home to the gates where passengers embark and disembark.