It’s been a long time coming – but after several delays, Manchester Airport is finally ready to officially unveil its new Terminal 2.
The first passengers are set to travel through the major ‘Super Terminal’ extension this week.
The extended terminal is the centrepiece of Manchester Airport Group’s (MAG) £1 billion Manchester Airport Transformation Programme, which was first announced in 2015 and was scheduled to open in the summer of 2020, until the COVID-19 pandemic ground international travel to a halt.
To ensure the smoothest possible opening when flying resumes, MAG has agreed a staggered launch of the new terminal with its airline partners.
It will see Jet2 start flying from there from 14 July – with just three flights on the first day to Menorca, Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca – as well as TUI flights from 15 July, with services to a range of destinations including green-listed Malta and Madeira, and Singapore Airlines will move over on the 17th.
Proudly introducing #YourNewT2 ✈️ After 83 years of being the UK's global gateway in the North, we can't wait to welcome the first passengers to our new T2 from July 14th!
So, what can travellers expect from the new terminal then?
ADVERTISEMENT
According to MAG, the expanded terminal has a light, bright and airy check-in hall, with designs that set the tone for what passengers can expect throughout, as well as 10 new security areas that make use of the latest technology to allow people to flow through as quickly and easily as possible.
The new departure lounge features include a honeycomb light installation with 16 million settings that proudly illuminates the space and gives a nod to the famous Manchester worker bee.
Centre stage is an 81 square metre digital screen showing flight information.
ADVERTISEMENT
The shops, cafes, bars and restaurants on offer – many hailing from the north, as well as a series of popular chains – have committed to serving customers at high street prices.
The expanded terminal has a light, bright and airy check-in hall, with designs that set the tone for what passengers can expect throughout / Credit: Manchester Airport Group (MAG)The new departure lounge features include a honeycomb light installation with 16 million settings / Credit: Manchester Airport Group (MAG)
Initially, Pret-a-Manger, Costa Coffee, KFC, The Amber Alehouse and The Bridgewater Exchange by Joseph Holt will be open to customers, and Manchester institution Archie’s will open its new Terminal Two location on Thursday, as will juice bar VIT, while other venues will open once more passengers start using the terminal.
Two airport-operated lounges, with a combined capacity of 400, are based on the upper level with floor to ceiling windows giving passengers panoramic views over the airfield.
Passengers arriving into the hub will be met by a new immigration facility that’s four times larger than before, as well as a modern new baggage reclaim.
The new terminal will also be fully COVID-19 secure and will have a range of safety measures in place that have throughout the airport during the pandemic – including an enhanced cleaning and sanitising regime.
ADVERTISEMENT
Speaking ahead of the terminal’s opening, Karen Smart – Managing Director of Manchester Airport – said: “After a long wait, we are delighted to confirm the first passengers will be able to enjoy our new Terminal Two this week [which] is a proud milestone for our airport as we begin to emerge from the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 crisis, and an important moment in our 83-year history.
“This project was always about offering the modern airport experience that families and businesses across the north deserve as they travel through their international gateway to the world, and our new terminal certainly delivers on that goal.
“The impact of the pandemic on the travel industry means we are not able to immediately welcome as many customers and airlines into this fantastic new facility as we would have hoped [but] as government restrictions continue to be eased, and travel to more destinations is opened up in the weeks ahead, we will be making further announcements about the carriers and retailers operating from T2.
“In the meantime, we look forward to celebrating this milestone and welcoming those who are travelling through the new terminal later this week.”
Featured Image – Manchester Airport Group (MAG)
News
Andy Burnham to begin rolling out new ‘everyday fixes’ for Brits amid cost of living crisis
Emily Sergeant
A series of ‘everyday fixes’ to help combat the rising cost of living crisis are soon to be rolled out nationwide.
Kicking off with two measures today, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced that he plans to ban retailers from making ‘misleading’ claims to customers about discounts.
The Government says shoppers have ‘increasingly complained’ about outlets artificially inflating prices to give a false sense of value, such as increasing prices only to then immediately advertise ‘discounts’ to make savings look larger than they really are, which goes on to create an uneven playing field for honest competitors.
The Prime Minister also wants to see an end to so-called ‘subscription traps’, where people find it hard to cancel their subscriptions, and contracts are automatically renewed at a higher cost.
Set to come into force in January 2027 and saving people an average of £14 a month for every unwanted subscription, the changes will mean businesses will need to provide clearer up-front information, regular reminders. and a ‘much easier’ exit to contracts.
Andy Burnham to begin rolling out new ‘everyday fixes’ for Brits amid cost of living crisis / Credit: gov.uk | Piotr Cichosz (via Unsplash)
A new 14-day cooling-off period will also be introduced to let consumers cancel after a trial or long-term contract renews.
Certain charitable memberships, like the ones for cultural and heritage organisations for example, will be excluded from the new subscription rules due to the fact they have a unique role in preserving the nation’s history, landscapes, and cultural collections.
The Prime Minister says he is ‘determined’ to use every chance he gets to restore fairness and take pressure off people.
“I know people are sick and tired of rip-off discounts and subscription traps,” Andy Burnham said. “Westminster has got used to telling people that everyday hassles like this are just part of life, but I don’t think that’s right, especially when the cost of living continues to weigh heavily on so many people’s lives.”
He concluded: “These are just two of the everyday fixes we’re going to be rolling out.
“We want to put more money in people’s pockets and give people hope that politics really can work for them and their everyday lives.”
Featured Image – Piotr Cichosz (via Unsplash)
News
Bury man jailed for life after being found guilty of murder at New Year’s Eve party
Emily Sergeant
A man has been handed a life sentence following the murder of another man at a New Year’s Eve celebration in Bury.
Antony Junior Murray, aged 25 of Tarn Drive in Bury, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last week (7 August) where he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years after being found guilty of murder.
It follows the death of 23-year-old Joe Burton on New Year’s Eve last year.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that emergency services were called to reports of a disturbance at an address on Tarn Drive at approximately 11:56pm on New Year’s Eve (31 December 2025), and upon arrival, officers discovered Joe ‘unresponsive’ at the bottom of a staircase with a significant amount of blood around him.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics, Joe was pronounced dead at 12:43am on New Year’s Day (1 January 2026).
A post-mortem examination later confirmed he had died from a single stab wound to the back.
At the scene, Murray initially denied any involvement and claimed he had returned home from a pub to find the victim unresponsive, however officers quickly identified inconsistencies in his account.
Initial enquiries – including phone and location data – showed that Murray had been at the address throughout the evening.
Joe had been in a relationship with Murray’s sister and had been invited to the address earlier that evening, and then further investigation revealed that Murray, Murray’s sister, the victim. and another individual had been at the property together, drinking and setting off fireworks to see in the New Year.
CCTV footage recovered from the scene captured the events leading up to the incident, including the fatal attack, and showed Murray assaulting Joe and placing him in a headlock, before proceeding to stab him in the back.
Following a detailed police investigation, Murray was charged with murder and was subsequently found guilty at court.
“Murray carried out a brutal attack on Joe and then attempted to mislead officers about his involvement,” explained Duncan Thorpe, who was the Senior Investigating Officer on the case.
Emily Sergeant -
12th July 2021 
