Manchester Airport opens a new play area for kids in Terminal 1

Manchester Airport has opened a brand-new play area in Terminal 1 to help entertain children as they wait to go on holiday.

The Little Flyers Zone features slides, interactive games, musical activities, climbing equipment and more. It opened this week in time to be used by children during the October half term.

The area was opened to the public in a special event featuring two of the airport’s Little Flyers mascots – Finn and Casey– who were on hand to meet young travellers.

It has been designed for children aged 12 and under and will be relocated when Terminal 1 closes next year.

Jennifer Byrne-Smith, Customer Operations Director, said:

“Airports are always exciting places to be – particularly when you’re going on a family holiday. But customers have told us there would love something to keep little ones occupied before they board their flights

“That’s why we’ve opened the Little Flyers Zone – it will help children aged 12 and younger pass the time before their flight while having fun and getting some exercise.

“It’s great to have been able to launch it with our Little Flyers mascots – they’re a lovely bunch to have around and I know the children have been delighted to meet them.”

The play area is free of charge and available on a first-come-first-served basis and all children should be accompanied by an adult.

It is part of Manchester Airport Group’s (MAG) Little Flyers Club initiative. The Little Flyers Club is a group of mascots – cartoon characters based on lost luggage named Casey, Finn, Jet,Porter and Carrie (see notes to editors for more) – who feature across a range of activities around all three of MAG’s airports, Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands

Manchester Airport’s transformation programme will be completed in 2025. When it is finished more than 70% of its passengers will use the brand-new Terminal 2. The first half of the new Terminal opened in 2021 and the second is on track to open next year.

Last month airport announced a range of new shops and food and drink outlets – including a dedicated Chanel beauty outlet, a Lego Store, Pandora, a JD Wetherspoon pub and the Great Northern Market Hall – that will operate in the second phase of Terminal 2.

As part of the project Terminal 1 will close and the number of airlines operating from Terminal 3 will be reduced to make the new terminal the heartbeat of the airport. A number of airlines have already moved from Terminals 1 and 3 and more will move over the coming months.