Manchester Airport Transformation Programme

[Rudney]

That will in theory take T3 from 1500pph up to 2000pph. Be interesting to know where the additional 500pph are expected to go once airside...the bar is already bursting at the seams as it is!

Jun 24 seems rather optimistic as well given there's not a spade in the ground yet either...

 

[LS@MAN]

That will in theory take T3 from 1500pph up to 2000pph. Be interesting to know where the additional 500pph are expected to go once airside...the bar is already bursting at the seams as it is!

Jun 24 seems rather optimistic as well given there's not a spade in the ground yet either...

I've no idea ref the amount of pph. But by 2025, I would expect Ryanair will base more aircraft at T3 as the sole customer of the terminal by then.

June 2024 is the government requirement from the DoT in order for the new scanning equipment to be implemented into all UK airports and the current security area hasn't adequate enough space to house this new equipment. Although like a lot of building projects at airports these days, large parts of the structure is usually prefabricated off site and then bought onto site in sections, which does speed up the overall process (as per the 2nd pier for T2).

I don't know if the planning application has been accepted yet by MCC and I haven't seen any NOTAM or OAN (Operational Advice Notices) referencing this extension and therefore changes to the alignment of stands in that area and I would expect the closure of stand 18 (gate 38 in T3).

 

[Jamman]

The image below shows the new extended security area in T3, it will need to be completed prior to June 2024 when the government requirement comes into place for the new security equipment across UK airports.

As for the departure lounge etc, I have no concrete info, just what is being looked at post the completion of T2 in 2025

Another architectural triumph!

 

[BlueManc]

Another architectural triumph!

Just got rid of a shed (last WWII hanger) and building another in tribute.

 

[LS@MAN]

Just got rid of a shed (last WWII hanger) and building another in tribute.

Yes, indeed not ideal! Another add on with no windows!
But it will be an improvement to the current security area!

With the price of electricity these days and the very much in your face of “going green” I am surprised airports aren’t making use of natural light, like the original T2!

 

[jfy1999]

With the price of electricity these days and the very much in your face of “going green” I am surprised airports aren’t making use of natural light, like the original T2!

Perhaps the cost of lighting is being weighed against the cost of heating and air-conditioning the building. More windows usually means less insulation (unless you buy expensive bespoke windows).

 

[Jamman]

I jest mostly and I guess the inside of the terminal is what matters to the passenger experience, anything that opens up more security lanes and uses new equipment to speed up the process. But I do look to the US where terminals have always been a bit underwhelming but now I see developments like LaGuardia's current transformation where they have thought about the inside and outside. I know there is probably a money disparity on that example.
I think I can give T1/T3 a pass as they are using legacy buildings which have always been a bit of a patchwork through the process of growth and time. T2X I'm not so forgiving, although I have yet to experience the internal style in person.
I work for a engineering firm (although not an engineer) and there's always jokes about how building boxes are simple and cheap, I guess that's where we are at now.

 

[LS@MAN]

The ways that airports are funded or how they procure their finances in the UK also doesn't help the fact we have new buildings / extensions at airports that aren't built to the highest quality and not built to last these days!
I have been to many regional size airports in Germany, Poland and Spain and they make much more use of glass structures and are just generally bigger and lighter.
Our regional airports are just not the same and the answer is always to do these things on the cheap!

 

[mullion]

They still have problems like Berlin

 

[marni1971]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1687114728890638336

Also on YouTube for those twiterless (or x-less)

 

[LS@MAN]

And from the video on twitter, here is pier 2 and some of it’s configurations.

 

[Liverpoola380]

It's already been confirmed by the airport management online that T1 will close once the current T2 refurb is completed and the 2nd pier opens. This is on schedule and is expected around Q2/3 of 2025.

As for T3, the security area will be expanded in preparation for the new security equipment, which has to be put in place by June 2024.
There are plans for further improvements within the departure lounge area in the future, but I would assume any major changes would happen after T2 is complete, in order to balance the budget.
Ryanair will be the only airline customer in T3 from the summer of 2025.

Oh wow. I fly BA to ORD connecting in LHR every month. So BA is moving over to T2. That will be soo much better.

Has there been any update to as whether any of the Piers in T1 will be refurbished and connected to T2?

 

[LS@MAN]

Oh wow. I fly BA to ORD connecting in LHR every month. So BA is moving over to T2. That will be soo much better.

Has there been any update to as whether any of the Piers in T1 will be refurbished and connected to T2?

I would assume both piers in T1 are closing at the same time as the terminal building.
Pier B has life expired already and Pier C isn't far behind.
Initially there were plans to connect legacy T2 to Pier C, but this is no longer in the plans. Demolition of T1 and the piers won't happen after closure, so maybe these stands could be use for remote parking overnight and then bussing passengers for the first wave departures (this is purely guessing work on my part).

 

[Rudney]

Anyone got any images of the original MAN-TP plans. Where we had I think 4 piers? TIA.

 

[BlueManc]

 

[Rudney]

Thanks @BlueManc for providing this. Could have sworn I remember seeing four across all of T2.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Remember that Pier 1, the Alpha stands, is where on the image there are aircraft park as if towards a blank pier space.

 

[marni1971]

There’s an earlier one with pier 4 attached to pier C.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Having been rather restricted in my movements of recent, I was pleased to be able to spend a few minutes on the roof of T1 multi-story car park on 13th August.

These 2 photos show foundation work for Pier 2 on T2 - the pile-drivers give a clue!!

View attachment 29133


View attachment 29134

I'll just throw this one in as a bonus.

View attachment 29135

 

[marni1971]

Some notes from last week;

Legacy check in is still in use, but all the lifts, escalators and walkways to the upper security level are now gone.

All T2X check in desks are now available

View from the apron in the dark shows legacy airside to now be one huge, single, full height void.

Legacy bag reclaim is totally walled off with no access. Ceiling still seems to be circa 1993.

We’ll be travelling T2X again soon - in daylight - for closer views of B Pier.