New T2 and restyling of T3 in Manchester with shops and restaurants

Manchester Airport has started work on the multimillion-dollar Terminal 3 refurbishment and expansion project, confirming the update on the status of the construction site for the renovated terminal. 

News at Terminal 3

Manchester's Terminal 3 will be larger, offering 40% more seating, a new entrance with additional spaces and services, ultra-modern security equipment and a new offer of shops and dining options. The first areas of the redesigned terminal will open to the public early next year.

The first opening will be the 469-seat "Sporting Chance" sports bar, overlooking the airside area and a schedule of live sporting events. The terminal will also host "Terracotta", an Italian-themed restaurant. Both venues will be managed by HMSHost UK, a company specialising in airport services part of the Avolta group.

Work in progress

The launch of the Terminal 3 construction site is part of the ten-year, £1.3 billion transformation of Terminal 2, which doubles in size and aims to deliver a world-class travel experience. A first expansion of T2 was inaugurated in 2021; The airport is now in the final stages of renovating the original building to bring it in line with the standards and aesthetics of the extension, with a modern design. Manchester's T2 will be fully opened by the end of 2025 and will become the main terminal, welcoming more than 70% of passengers. This will allow Terminal 1 to be closed and, since T1 and T3 are connected, to use some of the space freed up to expand T3, further enhancing the departure experience.

What's new at Terminal 2

Recent milestones in the T2 project include the opening of new check-in counters, a new security lounge and a new section of the departure lounge with brands such as LEGO®, Rituals, Pandora, Joe & The Juice, Starbucks and Upper Crust. Other shops and restaurants will open later this year, including Chanel, Grindsmith by WHSmith, a cocktail & champagne bar by Fever-Tree and the Great Northern Market, a food court dedicated to street food.

The final terminal will also include 13 new flexible aircraft pads and boarding gates (under construction). The path that will connect the new security room to the departure hall will feature a scenographic chandelier, a tribute to the Venetian chandeliers that adorned Terminal 1 in the 80s and 90s. Since the opening of the extension in 2021, more than 30 million passengers have already passed through Manchester Airport's (MAN) new Terminal 2, which last year won the Prix Versailles, a UNESCO-backed award in recognition of its outstanding design.