Major milestone in £1.3bn Manchester Airport transformation

Half-term holidaymakers will be among the first to use the brand-new security hall in Manchester Airport’s new Terminal 2.

The new security hall opening is a major milestone as the 10-year, £1.3bn transformation of Manchester Airport nears completion.

It comes as the airport gears up for a bumper week as families flock to foreign climates for the May half-term – with more than 1m passengers due to fly into or out of Manchester Airport between Friday, 23 May, and Sunday, 1 June.

Manchester Airport’s transformation programme began in 2015. The first major milestone came in 2021 when the new extension to Terminal 2 opened, doubling its overall capacity. Since then, the older part of Terminal 2 has been redeveloped to bring it in line with the new part.

The opening of the new security hall comes weeks after the first few check-in desks opened and signals a major step towards the full opening of the Terminal, which will come later this year when the departure lounge and all the shops and bars in it open, as well as pier 2, which will house extra gates.

Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said:

“Seeing the first passengers go into the new security hall is very exciting for everyone here, as it was one of the major milestones we have been working towards since first announcing the transformation 10 years ago.

“Here at Manchester Airport, we are proud to connect the North to the world, and as we take these huge steps towards completing our £1.3bn transformation, it means we’re connecting those passengers via an airport terminal that can rival any across Europe.

“The new security hall is opening just in time for the May half-term break, which is one of the busiest weeks of the year for us – I’m looking forward to hearing what our passengers think of it.”

The security hall houses 10 new lanes, five of which are opening straight away. All lanes are equipped with the latest technology that will mean passengers in the future will not have to remove electronic items from their hand baggage and will be able to carry larger volumes of liquid – although for now, we continue to advise all passengers to prepare for security as normal.

This is a UK-wide message to minimize confusion for passengers due to the fact each airport is rolling out the new equipment at different speeds.

Although next week is set to be one of the busiest of the year so far, the following week is popular among families with children whose schools have an extra week’s holiday following Whit Sunday.

Only a relatively small number of schools around the country take this week off, but this includes several in Greater Manchester. It means families can benefit from near-term-time holiday prices and has led to another million people booking flights through Manchester Airport that week.

The top five non-connecting destinations for bargain-hunting travelers during Whit Week will be:

1. Antalya
2. Palma
3. Alicante
4. Dalaman
5. Tenerife

Manchester Airport has also set out its top tips for families traveling with children during half-term:

· Make life as easy for yourself as possible by taking advantage of services the airport provides – like TimeSlot and Fast Track. TimeSlot is available on all flights from Terminal 3 and lets you choose a time to go to security, meaning shorter queues. Fast Track is available in all terminals and allows you to use a dedicated security lane that will get you to the departure lounge faster.

· If you have hold baggage and live locally, check to see if your airline offers a day-before bag drop service. You’ll be able to park at the airport for free and drop your hold baggage off the night before, meaning when you come to the airport the following day, you can go straight to security.

· Consider how you travel to the airport – you could use the Bee Network if you live in Greater Manchester and come to the airport by train, tram, or bus. It is simpler than ever to tap in where you live and tap off at the airport and pay for just a single journey even if you’ve had to change on the way.

· If you’re flying from Terminal 1 with children, visit our Little Flyers Zone play area. Head through World Duty Free, and the excitement awaits next to Jo Malone. Perfect for kids under 12, there’s plenty of seating for the whole family to chill out before your flight.

· Allow plenty of time. It might sound obvious, but cutting it fine is a sure-fire way to make traveling with children a lot more stressful…

· Plan your journey to the airport in advance, making sure you’re aware of any roadworks that could affect your route. If traveling by public transport, keep a close eye on schedule updates. And arrive at the earliest time your airline recommends (normally two hours before departure for a short-haul flight or three hours before departure for a long-haul flight).

· If you have very young children, the process and timing for checking in your pushchair or buggy might differ depending on your airline. To ensure a smooth experience on your travel day, it’s a good idea to reach out to your airline ahead of time to check.

If you’re flying with a baby, you might want to pack:

o Dummies

o Nappies

o Wet wipes

o A change of baby clothes

o Plastic bags (for used nappies or to wrap any clothes that get dirty)

o Breast milk can be brought in hand luggage in containers of up to 2000ml (even if you’re traveling without your baby). You can also bring formula milk, cow’s milk, soya milk, sterilized water, baby food, and cooling gel packs – but your baby must be traveling with you.

If you’re flying with a young child, you might want to pack:

o Favourite toys, books, or puzzles

o Travel pillow

o Wet wipes

o Hard sweets – which can help with the sensation of ears popping when the plane takes off and lands.