Manchester Airport has released video giving passengers a taste of what Terminal 2 will look like when it fully opens later this year.
You may already know that the first phase of the airport’s £1.3 billion transformation programme being carried out over 10 years was finished back in 2021, when an extension that doubled the size of Terminal 2 opened to the public.
But now we’ve been given a glimpse into what the full finished product will look like.
The first phase of the programme has already received the prestigious UNESCO-backed Prix Versailles award for architecture and design, so the transformation is already off to a flying start.
CGIs of what Terminal 2 will look like once it’s fully open later this year / Credit: MAG
Since the completion of phase one, lots has been happening – including ongoing work to revamp the original part of the building, and create more space for seating, security, shops, restaurants, and check-in along the way.
Now though, the airport has shared a fly-through video showing what passengers will experience when they use the new terminal.
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The video augments CGIs of parts of the terminal that are under construction with the parts that have been finished to show the full experience.
“It’s so exciting for us to finally be able to share this video our passengers, so they can get a preview of what they’ll be able to experience here later on this year,” commented Manchester Airport’s Managing Director, Chris Woodroofe, as the video was released this week.
“Our transformation programme has been 10 years and £1.3bn in the making, but now we’re in the final stages of finishing everything off to open it to the public later this year.”
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Take a look at our brand-new terminal experience✈️
This fly-through video gives passengers a taste of what they will experience in our new T2. From arriving in our new check-in hall and going through security, to walking through the new section of our departure lounge.
Mr Woodroofe says there’s a “huge amount of work going on” all over the airport, but this video shows that it will “all be worth it” in the end.
He also added that the transformation isn’t just limited to Terminal 2 either, as work is also being done to modernise the airfield, building a new road to improve access to the new terminal, and improvements to Terminal 3 are also on the horizon – with announcements on this expected to be coming soon.
More than 35 million passengers have already used the Terminal 2 extension, but millions more will fly in and out when it fully opens later this year.
Featured Image – MAG
News
Rio Ferdinand is stepping away from TNT Sports after more than a decade
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend and ex-England international Rio Ferdinand has announced he will be stepping away from TNT Sports, leaving more than a decade with the broadcaster.
Ferdinand has spent the best part of the last 10 years serving as a leading pundit and analyst, as well as hosting his own ‘Rio Meets’ online series – the interview format of which has been replicated on his YouTube channel.
However, after having been one of their main anchors both under the BT Sport and even more so since the inception of the rebranded TNT Sports Football umbrella, the 46-year-old has confirmed he has now quit their regular coverage following the Champions League final this weekend.
In a lengthy statement on social media, the ex-Man United defender, who also played for Leeds, West Ham, Bournemouth and QPR, described it as a “difficult decision.”
Taking time to thank the network for their “tremendous support” over the years, especially those “behind the scenes, whose work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.”
The talented centre-back retired in May 2015 after more than 500 appearances and 81 national team caps, making an almost immediate switch into punditry and remaining a household name.
Rio has also remained a popular figure at Old Trafford and, indeed, across various parts of Manchester since leaving United in 2014.
For instance, his self-titled Foundation has carried out some truly transformational local outreach across various boroughs, as it has back in his home city of London.
Responding to the news, TNT Sports said nothing more than “Thanks for everything, Rio”; meanwhile, fellow former Red, Danny Simpson (who retired last year and also works as a pundit/presenter for MUTV) added: “You’re going to be missed, bro. Every time you’re on, you give us all the mad insight.”
However, he has promised he will remain in the media industry, continuing to work under the Rio Ferdinand Presents digital brand and pursuing “other business interests”.
With his ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Vibe with FIVE’ series regularly raking in millions of views, he might not be on the box during European nights but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him.
Rare bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in more than 30 years
Emily Sergeant
It’s time to say a big hello, as rare bat-eared foxes have now arrived at Chester Zoo.
The two sisters, named Maasai and Malindi, have been welcomed by conservationists after travelling more than 500 miles from a zoo in Paris, and they are the first mammals of their kind to come to Chester Zoo in more than 30 years.
First images show the pair exploring their home in the zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat – which officially opened to the public back in March, and is the largest zoo development ever undertaken in the UK, spanning more than 22.5 acres in size.
The adorable – but rather unique-looking – bat-eared fox is named after its distinctive oversized ears and is native to the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
They live for around 13 years on average, and their characteristically large ears help regulate their body temperature and enhance their incredible hearing, allowing them to prey like detect insects moving underground.
The species faces increasing threats in the wild, largely due to the loss of their habitat caused by agriculture, human encroachment, and hunting.
This is why Chester Zoo has long been at the forefront of protecting African wildlife.
Its teams’ have been supporting everything from the safe translocation of northern giraffes to protected national parks in Uganda, to developing cutting-edge AI trail cameras to protect giant pangolins from illegal trafficking in recent years.
Bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in 30 years / Credit: Chester Zoo
“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome bat-eared foxes back to Chester Zoo after a 30-year hiatus,” commented David White, who is the Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Both Maasai and Malindi are settling in well so far, spending much of their time exploring their expansive home and getting to know their new housemates – a family of twelve Cape porcupines. These two species would often come across one another in the wild, so we’ve recreated this right here at Chester.
“In time, we hope to introduce one of the two sisters to a male fox, with the hope that we can contribute to the European conservation breeding programme, helping to ensure there’s a healthy, genetically diverse back-up population in human care.
Emily Sergeant -
6th February 2025 
