The last six months have seen huge progress with the Manchester Airport Transformation Programme since it was launched in July 2017.
Earlier last month (26 February) marked the important milestone for the huge project, which is expected to cost £1 billion when complete.
Images and footage of the development were released illustrating the progress, with several projects having already been finalised. A 650-seat temporary gate lounge was finished in August, while steelworks for one of the travel hub’s new piers are now ready.
To mark the completion of the first major phase of the expansion, apprentices tightened the final steel bolt in the new pier, which is expected to be in use by summer 2019.
Manchester Airport chief executive officer Andrew Cowan said: “Through the delivery of the transformation we will have a world class airport the whole of the north can be proud of, and one that will attract new airlines and routes so that we can continue to play economic provider by linking the north to key investment and trade opportunities across the globe.”
The project aims to expand Terminal Two by more than 140 per cent when complete, as well as providing innovations in travel.
Other developments that have occurred since the Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, launched the initiative in July last year, include work on a multi-storey car park and the terminal expansion.
The first six months have been mainly spent demolishing existing buildings and laying foundations to allow for construction work to begin. Now engineers can start building the car park and extension of Terminal Two. Four tower cranes have been set up and two more are expected to be erected before April.
This is one of the biggest construction projects in the history of the north, and could see methods like sprayed concrete being used to facilitate the large-scale development. Over the next few months, Manchester Airport hopes work will begin on the construction of the second pier; a new baggage hall for the growing number of Terminal Two passengers will be built; and changes will be made to the highways and forecourt.
When complete, the project – which aims to double the size of the current Terminal Two – will have new security halls, 50 new retail and food and drink outlets, and self-service check-in facilities.
The extension alone will be 19,754 squared metres, and the construction site is taking up a vast amount of room, spreading over 115,860sq/m.
Passengers who regularly use Manchester Airport will be looking forward to the improvements and expansion of the travel hub, after it was revealed that 27,790,196 people travelled through the facility in the year leading to January 2018. This represents a growth of 7.45 per cent from the previous 12 months, and 1.6 million passengers used the airport in January alone.
Last month, Ryanair showed its support of Manchester Airport by revealing a $300 million (£213.7 million) investment with three aircraft being stationed at the UK’s third largest airport.