Manchester Airport’s 1.3 billion GBP Transformation Programme (MAN-TP) has achieved two key milestones: the completion of work to redesign the airfield and the installation of steelwork for a new pier.
The redesigned airfield will add capacity and allow for a greater number of aircraft movements at MAN, with minimal need for extra concrete.
This work will allow Airbus A380s, the world’s largest passenger planes, to pass side by side as they taxi to and from Terminal 2, thus removing a bottleneck that prevents the airfield from operating to its full capacity.
In addition, the extra pier will almost double the number of aircraft that can operate from the new terminal, while providing passengers with more space as they wait.
150 pre-cast piles have been successfully installed to support this pier and a number of steel structures have been put in place to allow different-sized planes to be connected to the pier via air bridges. This infrastructure will also accommodate Airbus A380s.
The pier is being delivered by construction managers, Mace and contractor, Martifer using a process known ‘kit of parts architecture.’ This involves parts of the structure being constructed away from the airport and then installed as whole units. This helps speed up the building process while minimising disruption on the airfield.
The pier is the most significant new structure being built in the second and final phase of the MAN-TP project, which was first announced in 2015 with a 10-year vision to transform the passenger experience at the airport.
The new pier will mirror Terminal 2’s Pier 1, which opened in 2021. It will provide 13 new spacious boarding gates and flexible aircraft stands for next-generation aircraft.
Together with the redesigned airfield, this investment will enable Manchester Airport to expand its offering to passengers in the North.
“These are significant developments in the Manchester Airport Transformation Programme. The changes to the taxiway unlock the airfield’s potential while the pier will allow us to accommodate the extra aircraft.
“For a few months now most of the work on the pier has been happening underground, preparing the way for installing this complex structure. Now we’re seeing the first visible signs of what’s about to be built and it’s really exciting. We’ve worked closely with Mace and Martifer to make sure this is delivered in such a way as to cut delivery times, minimise disruption and decrease the carbon footprint of the project at the same time.
“We’re looking forward to seeing all the progress that will follow over the coming months before it is completed next year.”
The first phase of MAN-TP saw Terminal 2 more than double in size in the summer of 2021.
The second phase will now upgrade the original building with a second security hall and an extended departure lounge, along with reconfigurations of the airfield to make operations more efficient.
Upon completion in 2025, over 70 percent of passengers at MAN will use the expanded Terminal 2.
