With most schools breaking up for summer on Friday, Manchester Airport is to welcome a record-breaking number of passengers over the next six weeks.

As the UK’s biggest and best-connected airport outside London, Manchester Airport will see more than 5.7m passengers flying in or out between Friday and the end of the holidays on 1 September – or more than120,000 per day.

Those passengers will benefit from the airport’s newly completed Terminal 2 and the ongoing work to improve Terminal 3 following the closure of Terminal 1 – meaning wherever people are travelling to this summer, they will get a better experience than ever at Manchester Airport.

They will get an award-winning experience with Terminal 2 recently scooping the Airport Expansion Award at the NCE Airport Awards to go alongside the UNESCO-backed Prix Versailles for architecture and design.

The summer holidays follow hot on the heels of a record-breaking June. Just more than 3m passengers travelled last month – making it the airport’s busiest June on record.

And they got a good service, with 92% waiting 10 minutes or less to get to security so they could relax in the airport’s departure lounges before their flights.

The completion of the airport’s £1.5bn transformation programme has improved the choice passengers get in its terminals.

In Terminal 2, new retailers including Coach, Reiss, Jo Malone and Tom Ford have joined designer outlets like Chanel in the Boutique Mall area.  The airport-first market hall style eating area the Great Northern Market recently opened along with the airport’s new lounge – The Executive. 

While work to expand Terminal 3 has begun and around 500 new seats have already been added through the new Sporting Chance bar, more details on the plans for further investment are coming soon.

Airport bosses have given a list of top tips and hints aimed to help passengers have a smooth and stress-free trip if they are heading away this summer – and among them is a reminder to plan ahead of they are travelling by public transport with work due to start on the tram network this week.

Jennifer Byrne-Smith, Director of Customer Operations at Manchester Airport, said:

“Here at Manchester Airport we’re proud to connect the North to the world and the summer holidays are like the World Cup to us – it’s the time of year we work towards and prepare for so that we’re match-ready as our passengers arrive.

“Over the last few years we’ve put so much work into improving every part of the passenger journey – from improvements around our car parks and drop off areas, right through the £1.3bn transformation of our state-of-the-art Terminal 2 to the work we’ve done on the airfield that is helping us offer more flights to more destinations than ever before.

“We’re all really excited to share that with passengers due to travel this summer and give them a really great start top their holidays – but we also wanted to take the chance to share a few of our top tips.

“The main one is to make sure you’ve planned your journey to the airport. There’s a bit of work happening on the tram network that could affect you if you were planning to take public transport.

“Apart from that I’d recommend people pack smart – that can save you time, effort and money. If you don’t have to check in a hold bag you can get to security and into the departure lounges in a matter of minutes after arriving at the airport – that’s especially true now thanks to our next generation scanners which mean you no longer have to unpack your electronics and liquids under 100mls.”

Manchester Airport’s top tips for travellers:

Before leaving:

·       Check the weight of your luggage before leaving for the airport. If you only need to bring down the weight of your luggage a little bit, try wearing the heaviest items of clothing in your bag – it may save you paying for extra luggage

·       To prepare your outfit for security, wear shoes that you can take off and put on easily. Avoid fiddly belts or fastenings in your clothes and excess jewellery. Try and keep your pockets empty of non-essentials

·       Temperatures aboard flights can vary so wearing a few removable layers is advised. An extra jumper can always be used as a pillow if nothing else

·       Check your luggage allowance with the airline you are flying with – the sizes vary and you don’t want to be stuck with extra luggage at check-in before your flight

·       Consider using night-before bag drop if it is available for you – your airline’s website should tell you. Many airlines allow passengers to check in hold bags the night before. You’ll be able to park for free while you do it and it beats queues in the morning when check-in is busier

·       Decorate your luggage with something very recognisable like colourful ribbons or stickers so you can easily spot your luggage on the baggage carousel. Alternatively, track your luggage with Bluetooth luggage tags

Travelling to the airport:

·       Plan your journey – remember to check for any roadworks on your route or around the airport, and plan your journey accordingly

·       The most stress-free parking to book is Meet & Greet – drive your car up next to the terminal and drop off your keys, and your car will be waiting for you when you get back

·       To avoid forgetting where you have parked, take a quick picture of your parking spot and the surrounding signs to easily locate it on your return

·       If you struggle with late night or early morning car trips to or from the airport, there are many hotels nearby and on-site, so you’ll be just minutes from each terminal

At the airport:

·       Remember that you no longer have to remove liquids under 100mls or electronics from your bags at security. But you can’t travel with liquids of more than 100mls – that can include unexpected things like children’s ‘squishy’ toys and things like snowglobes as they often contain liquids or gels. The rules say that if something is pourable or spreadable at room temperature you cannot have more than 100mls of it in your hand baggage. If in doubt – put things like squishy toys in hold baggage

·       You’ll also be asked to remove loose outer clothing like jackets and coats and metal items like belts

·       If given the choice of security lanes, pick the left. Most passengers are right handed and will subconsciously prefer the right, making the left a little quieter.

·       If you want to grab a bite to eat but are nervous your meal will take too long to be served, check to see if the restaurant has an express menu. Many airport restaurants have a menu which they will guarantee a fifteen minute maximum preparation time

·       If you have more time and prefer to relax before a flight, the airport offers lounges with unlimited Wi-Fi, a freshly prepared buffet and a complimentary bar

The airport’s £1.3bn improvement programme is wrapping up this year. It means the vast majority of passengers – everyone except for Ryanair passengers – will now use the airport’s state-of-the-art new Terminal 2, which has already won the Prix Versailles for architecture and design.

The full footprint of the new Terminal 2 is now open to the public and the final few retailers and features have been opening over the last few weeks and months. New arrivals in the departure lounge include a Fever Tree bar, the Great Northern Market food hall, a Chanel store and more.

The airport also recently announced that its first Wetherspoon’s pub – to be named the Belle Vue after the historic Manchester stadium – will open in Terminal 2 in September. 

The expansion of Terminal 2 has led to the closure of Terminal 1, the oldest part of the airport. It has also allowed work to start on a project to revamp Terminal 3, adding extra space and facilities – including the new Sporting Chance bar, which opened earlier this year.

More than 2.9m passengers flew into or out of Manchester Airport last month – making it the busiest May on record for the Northern hub.

The most popular destinations included traditional half-term favourites like Alicante, Mallorca, and Faro – but football fans caused jumps in traffic to both Istanbul and Budapest.

More than 18,000 people travelled to Istanbul – the venue for Aston Villa’s Europa League final victory – last month and even though Manchester is a long way from North London more than 8,000 people flew to Budapest where Arsenal lost in the Champions League Final.

Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said:

“We’re proud to connect the North to the world – and a big part of that is making sure people from the region can get to the big global events that matter to them.

“Last month we saw hundreds of football fans following their teams in Europe and we were really happy to be able to play a part in getting them to matches that they will never forget, particularly for Aston Villa fans.

“I’m especially pleased that we were able to give them a really good experience here at the airport too – last month the majority of our passengers waited for five minutes or less to get to security meaning they could relax in our departure lounges and enjoy all we have to offer.”

The airport’s £1.3bn improvement programme is wrapping up this year. It means the vast majority of passengers – everyone except for Ryanair passengers – will now use the airport’s state-of-the-art new Terminal 2, which has already won the Prix Versailles for architecture and design.

The full footprint of the new Terminal 2 is now open to the public and the final few retailers and features have been opening over the last few weeks and months. New arrivals in the departure lounge include a Fever Tree bar, the Great Northern Market food hall, a Chanel store and more.

The airport also recently announced that its first Wetherspoon’s pub – to be named the Belle Vue after the historic Manchester stadium – will open in Terminal 2 in September.  

The expansion of Terminal 2 has led to the closure of Terminal 1, the oldest part of the airport. It has also allowed work to start on a project to revamp Terminal 3, adding extra space and facilities – including the new Sporting Chance bar, which opened earlier this year.

Manchester was the first city in Great Britain to establish a municipal aerodrome when an Air Ministry licence was granted to the Corporation on April 22^nd 1929. In January 1934, an airline senior pilot claimed that the existing Barton site for Manchester was unsuitable and by July 1934 the City Council had chosen Ringway, as Manchester Airport used to be known, as a new home.

The original 1938 route network included exotic destinations like Weston-Super-Mare, Croydon and Doncaster, whereas Manchester now serves over 210 international destinations worldwide.

During World War Two, the airport became a hub of wartime engineering activity as an aircraft manufacturing centre for Fairey Aviation and Avro. Runway and airport facilities were enhanced with three new runways and ten new hangars being added during this period. The airport also acted as a training centre for over 60,000 parachutists.

In 1954, the airport served a million passengers and by 1995, that had risen to 15 million.

Since opening 80 years ago, the airport recently passed the 28m passenger mark. The airport now has three terminals and two full length runways. It has a wealth of long haul routes that in the UK can only also be found in London. These include: Boston, San Francisco, Houston, Muscat, Singapore, Seattle and Los Angeles.

Building work commenced on the airport’s £1bn transformation programme in July 2017, and in April 2019 the first phase of the programme opened to passengers with the launch of the first passenger pier and a new multi-storey car park. 

The new-look Terminal Two opened in July 2021, becoming the airport’s largest terminal and increasing its footprint by 150% to provide a world class experience for passengers. 

Manchester Airport is part of MAG and serves over 60 million passengers through its ownership and operation of Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports.

• There are three terminals at Manchester Airport;
  • Terminal One, opened in 1962 by the Duke of Edinburgh
  • Terminal Two, opened by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1993, then extended in a £1bn transformation plan from 2015 and reopened in July 2021.
  • Terminal Three, originally Terminal A, opened by Diana Princess of Wales in 1989.
• Manchester Airport officially opened in June 1938
• Runway Two was officially opened in February 2001 by Tony Blair
• Manchester Airport has two full length runways – the only UK airport other than Heathrow to have this.
• In June 2015 Manchester Airport announced a 10 year, £1bn plan to transform the airport to ensure future growth and to improve the customer experience – the centrepiece of which is the new Terminal Two extension which opened in July 2021.
• Manchester Airport’s Escape Lounge can be found in all three terminals, and its premium 1903 lounge in Terminal Two.
• The Runway Visitor Park (RVP) on site is one of the top ten attractions in Greater Manchester
• The RVP is home to Concorde, which offers tours throughout the year. Entrance to the park is free, guests just pay for parking, aircraft tours and event tickets
• More than 1.5 million bottles of water and 40,000 bottles of champagne, 1.8 million books and over a million packs of cigarettes are bought by passengers every year in the Airport’s shops and restaurants.

Route Network

• Manchester is the UK’s third largest airport after London Heathrow and Gatwick with 29.4m annual passengers (2019)
• In total MAG airports (Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands) have over 60m annual passengers (2019).
• Manchester Airport currently serves over 110 destinations in 42 countries
• The airport is served by more than 30 airlines
• Manchester offers a range of long haul routes, some of which are not available anywhere else in the UK outside London: Houston, Jeddah, Singapore, Hong Kong and more

Global Gateway to the North

• Manchester’s long-haul catchment area places around 22 million people and 60% of all UK businesses within a two-hour drive time – it extends north through the Lake District into Scotland; east across Yorkshire and the North East; south to Birmingham and the Midlands; and west into Merseyside and Wales.
• The World Freight Terminal on site handles over 50,000 tonnes of cargo each year
• Manchester Airport is part of Manchester Airports Group (MAG) which also owns and operates London Stansted and East Midlands Airport
• MAG also owns MAG Property – a £600m property business across all four airports. It also holds a stake in Airport City, an £800m commercial premises project on land near Manchester Airport, which is a UK first.

In the Community

• Over 60,000 jobs are directly or indirectly supported by the airport across the North.
• Manchester Airport is one of the UK’s largest art sponsors - more than £8 million has been donated over the Airport’s history
• AeroZone provides a free educational space for schools and youth groups, giving children the chance to learn about how the airport works and the careers available to them.
• More than £4m has been donated to good causes across Manchester and north Cheshire by the airport’s Community Trust Fund since it was established in 1997.

Manchester Airport’s Escape Lounge is available in all three terminals and offers passengers to chance to put their feet up, catch up on last minute business, or simply enjoy some peace and quiet as they enjoy the complimentary food and drink on offer.

The lounge caters to passengers of all ages and offers fast unlimited WiFi, flight information boards, bar service for complimentary alcoholic and soft drinks, along with buffet service for seasonal meals and snacks.

An enhanced and rigorous cleaning regime remains in place to ensure the Escape Lounge offers a Covid-safe environment.

Prices start from £23 when booked in advance. For more information or to book visit: www.manchesterairport.co.uk/at-the-airport/escape-lounges/

1903 Lounge

1903 is Manchester Airport’s premium lounge. It offers fantastic views of the airfield, the lounge has its own team of chefs providing freshly cooked food and premium drinks, cooking them up in front of guests in our theatre kitchen.

The 1903 lounge offers all of the benefits of the Escape lounge, but also gives diners access to a constantly-rotating menu of freshly prepared hot plates, pastries and snacks, plus self-service bars serving complimentary premium alcoholic and soft beverages, including Champagne and locally-produced artisanal spirits.

Passengers will also be able to make use of an included Fast Track security pass and unlimited free Wi-Fi. The lounge is priced from £35 when booked in advance. At present, 1903 is only available in Terminal Two, with the lounges in Terminals One and Three due to reopen next year.

For more information or to book visit: www.manchesterairport.co.uk/1903

Car Parking

Manchester Airport offers car parking options to suit every budget.  For more information and to book, visit www.manchesterairport.co.uk/parking/

Carbon Click

Manchester Airport has teamed up with Carbon Click to introduce an emissions offsetting scheme for passengers.

CarbonClick’s voluntary offset tool allows passengers, regardless of their airline or destination, to quickly calculate the emissions from their flight and purchase carbon credits to compensate for them. Every purchase can be immediately linked directly to the high-quality climate projects that CarbonClick supports in the UK and abroad.

Each offset will be split equally between two causes: the UK-based “Woodland Creation in the Lake District” on Lowther Estate, Cumbria, which promotes biodiversity and reduces carbon and the risk of flooding and “Promoting Improved Cooking Practices”, which makes and distributes efficient charcoal cookstoves. Use of the stoves reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere and will and improve the health of communities in Nigeria.

Passengers can find out more by visiting www.manchesterairport.co.uk/flight-information/carbon-offsetting/.

Mobile App

To ensure all the necessary information is at our passengers’ fingertips, we have our very own mobile phone app. This has all the key information on, such as up to the minute arrival and departure times, airport maps plus a list of on-site facilities. The app is available on the iPhone and on android.

For more information contact the Manchester Airport Press Office – press.office@manairport.co.uk