England’s Manchester Airport (MAN), the biggest British airport outside London, has just released a fly-through video giving passengers a taste of what its new Terminal 2 will look like when it is fully open later this year.

The YouTube video shows the full passenger journey from arriving in the check-in hall, going through security, and into the new section of the departure lounge where a huge new shopping offer includes a Chanel store, a standalone LEGO shop, a showpiece Great Northern Market dining area, a Fever-Tree bar, and the airport’s first JD Wetherspoon pub.

The Northern English gateway—part of Manchester Airports Group, which also owns UK gateways London Stansted and East Midlands—is near the end of its 10-year, GBP1.3 billion (USD1.6 billion) transformation program. Terminal 2’s full opening to the public later this year will mark the project’s completion.

MAN’s Managing Director Chris Woodroofe—previously Chief Operating Officer at London Gatwick Airport from 2016 to 2020—said: “Now we’re in the final stages of finishing everything off. There’s a huge amount of work going on all over the airport and this video shows that it will all be worth it. Everyone here at Manchester Airport feels proud to be able to connect the North (of England) to the world.”

The first phase of the program—an extension that doubled the size of T2—opened in 2021 and has already received the prestigious UNESCO-backed Prix Versailles architecture award in 2023. More than 35 million passengers have used the T2 extension since opening.

Apart from the Terminal 2 expansion, other upgrades include modernizing the airfield, building a new road to improve access to the terminal, and work on Terminal 3 that is yet to be announced.

What to Expect

The video offers a first look at what passengers will experience when they use T2 by augmenting computer-generated imagery of parts of the terminal that are under construction with the parts that have been finished.

An independent report from York Aviation, commissioned last year by the airport, shows that around 16,400 extra jobs will be generated by 2040 as a result of the economic activity stimulated by the expansion of the airport and its route network.

The same research also revealed that MAN’s contribution to the northern economy of England is expected to soar by nearly 80%, to GBP6.3 billion (USD7.8 billion) by 2040 as a result of the full delivery of the transformation program. A further GBP2.9 billion (USD3.6 billion) boost will be triggered by increased productivity of businesses that trade globally through the airport over the same period.

MAN has yet to release its 2024 full-year passenger numbers but in the rolling 12 months to September 2024, the airport achieved 30 million passengers, putting it alongside airports such as New York’s La Guardia, Melbourne Airport in Australia, Doha’s Hamad International, and Sabia Gokcen in Istanbul.

Moreover, during each of the 12 months to September 2024, MAN set monthly records in each month. Its management will therefore be hopeful the completion of T2 will enable this passenger uplift will continue.

MAN claims to have the most extensive route network of any UK airport outside London, with more than 200 destinations served. Recent additions have included Shanghai with Juneyao Air, Las Vegas with Virgin Atlantic, and Casablanca with Royal Air Maroc. The new routes have proved popular, helping the airport reach the 30-million milestone.