Terminal 1 will close. Terminal 2 will double in size. Terminal 3 is getting a full upgrade – including a 500-seat bar, expanded dining, new security hall and 40% more seating.
Manchester Airport is expanding. A huge £1.3bn project is underway to boost the airport’s capacity. Currently, the airport has three terminals, but plans are now moving ahead to expand Terminals 2 and 3, and to shut down Terminal 1.
Terminal 3 will receive a major renovation, with the project scheduled for completion by 2026. Terminal 1 will close down, with parts of it being used to enlarge the revamped T3.
The airport has seen numerous expansions in recent years. In 2021, Terminal 2 was expanded to double the size – a development that won the Prix Versailles award for architecture. Since then, T2 has served over 30m passengers.
What’s currently happening
Phase two of Terminal 2’s development (the final phase) is currently underway. This will merge the original T2 with the new extension. The new, upgraded terminal will open fully later in 2025. Once complete, it will serve 70% of passengers.
What’s not yet started
Terminal 3’s renovation has been announced but not yet initiated. Here is a breakdown of the coming upgrades to T3:
- New entrance (using old Terminal 1 entrance)
- New security hall and departure lounge
- 500-seat bar, with expanded dining (and airfield views)
- 40% more departure lounge seating
- New food and drink outlets (not yet named)
Additional upgrades include new retail units and updated interiors. The design includes honeycomb lighting – a nod to Manchester’s worker bee emblem.
Terminal 3, which opened in 1989, has mostly served domestic routes.
The airport is also improving ground infrastructure. A new link road, Sydney Avenue, is under construction. It is set to improve traffic flow at the Thorley Lane entrance. Airfield upgrades are in progress, and new taxiways are being trialled to support the increased traffic.
Managing director Chris Woodroofe said the aim is to deliver an experience to match “any European capital city.” Terminal 2 has already won the Prix Versailles award for design.
No final list of retailers or F&B operators has been announced. The airport says more announcements will follow once construction progresses.
