Manchester Airport’s transformation of Terminal 2 has hit another milestone this week, with the opening of a new section of the departure lounge.
The airport’s 10-year, £1.3bn Terminal 2 transformation project has been opening in several impressive phases, more than doubling its overall size.
The new section of the redeveloped Manchester Airport Terminal 2 is home to six new shops and foot outlets, including viral favourite Joe & The Juice, and a LEGO store.
Also opening this week are a new Starbucks, Upper Crust, Pandora, and Rituals.
The extension to the terminal first opened in 2021, with work to bring the existing building up to the same standard now almost complete.
Later this year, there’ll be more new openings to look forward to, including Chanel, Grindsmith by WH Smith, a Fever Tree cocktail and champagne bar, and the Great Northern Market – a food court with a selection of street food options.
More than 70% of the airport’s passengers will use the new facilities, and Terminal 1 will close when the project is completed later this year.
Last year the terminal extension claimed a prestigious, UNESCO-backed Prix Versailles award recognising its outstanding design.
Manchester Airport opens another section of new Terminal 2, with Joe & The Juice and LEGO
Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director at Manchester Airport, said: “It’s wonderful to see more of our new-look Terminal 2 opening to the public, further enhancing the world class passenger experience that this terminal offers.
“We have a busy few months ahead of us as we finish this transformative 10-year project.
“We’re proud to connect the people of the North with the world, and these new facilities will allow them to travel in the style befitting a major international hub, while also creating a striking first impression for visitors to our region.
“Manchester and the North are woven through the fabric of this terminal building, from the worker bee and honeycomb motif in the terminal’s design, to the many Northern brands operating shops and restaurants in our departure lounge.
“We’re thrilled to see the last pieces of the project coming together and we’re sure the 70 per cent or so of our passengers who will use the final product will be as pleased with it as we are.”
Richard Jackson, Retail Director at Manchester Airport, said: “We’re pleased to welcome so many exciting brands to our new-look Terminal 2. These brands are household names and leaders within their markets, with a reputation for quality, which makes them a perfect fit for the experience we are creating here.
“I look forward to working with them and with the brands due to open units later this year, as we put the finishing touches to the terminal.”
The Government agreed to delay the deadline for the scheme until 2026, but local leaders wanted to scrap all charges and help to fund vehicle upgrades instead.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) then set out evidence supporting an investment-led, and, crucially for residents and motorists, a non-charging Clean Air Plan back in June 2022 – which it said was ‘the best solution’ to address the roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) problem.
More than 1,300 Clean Air Zone signs to finally be taken down across Greater Manchester / Credit: The Manc Group | Flickr
And then, back in January of this year, it was confirmed that Greater Manchester’s plan for the introduction of a non-charging clean air zone had been backed by the Government.
More than 1,300 Clean Air Zone signs were installed across Greater Manchester at the start of the controversial scheme being initially proposed, as well as a total of 407 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.
But while it was initially thought that this technology may go to waste, it was revealed in March 2023 that they were actually being used for an entirely different reason all together – detecting crime.
While the cameras are intended to stay in place and in use, the more than 1,000 signs are to be taken down.
“We’ve always been focused on doing what’s right for Greater Manchester, and by accelerating investment in our public transport network, we’re showing that it’s possible to improve air quality faster than if a charging Clean Air Zone had been introduced,” commented Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, who is the Clean Air lead for Greater Manchester.
“As we deliver our Clean Air Plan alongside the Bee Network, with support from the Government, we’ll roll out the UK’s first fully integrated, zero-emission public transport system by the end of the decade and improve the air we all breathe for generations to come.”
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Travel & Tourism
Blackpool Pleasure Beach reveals exclusive glimpse at new ‘tallest of its kind’ ride
Daisy Jackson
Blackpool Pleasure Beach has unveiled a first glimpse of what its new £8.72m ride will look like.
The brand-new ride is set to be the ‘tallest of its kind’ and will change the Blackpool skyline when it opens next year.
Aviktas will be a towering 138ft gyro swing which will fly riders alongside the other world-famous rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, including the Big One.
It’ll be the tallest ride of its kind in the UK and will spin riders 120 degrees, facing outwards with legs dangling as you soar along the coastline.
There are other swinging pendulum rides in the UK, but none come close to Aviktas in terms of height – it’s almost twice the height of Drayton Manor’s Maelstrom.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach has now released the first CGI of what the ride will look like when it opens in 2026.
Amanda Thompson OBE, CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort said: “We’re known for going big at Pleasure Beach, and Aviktas is exactly that.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach reveals exclusive glimpse at new ‘tallest of its kind’ ride Aviktas
“We hope by releasing this video, guests will be able to understand the mammoth scale of our new investment, and the huge impact it’ll have on our park and the industry as a whole. This ride will be colossal, daunting, exhilarating and an incredible addition to the town.”
Amanda added: “This is the first small tease of what we have planned, there’s plenty more teasers on the way!
“Keep an eye on our socials, as what may now seem mysterious, will eventually be revealed!”
Aviktas will open in 2026 – in the meantime you can book advance tickets to visit Blackpool Pleasure Beach HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
28th July 2025 
