Manchester Airport To Expand Terminal 3, Repurpose Terminal 1 Space

Manchester Airport (MAN), England, has announced plans to overhaul Terminal 3, marking the latest phase in its decade-long, £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) transformation program.

The upgrade will see the terminal expanded and modernized through a redesign of its entrance, security hall and departure lounge. Enhancements include a 40% increase in seating, installation of new security equipment, expanded retail and dining options, and an enlarged arrivals area.

The airport started the wider transformation program in 2015, which involves doubling the size of Terminal 2 and the eventual closure of Terminal 1. Parts of Terminal 1 will be repurposed to expand the footprint of Terminal 3, which is physically connected to it.

“Moving to a two-terminal airport is giving us a great opportunity to use some of the existing Terminal 1 space to increase the footprint of Terminal 3,” MAN Managing Director Chris Woodroofe says.

Terminal 1, in its current form, will be decommissioned once Terminal 2 reaches full operational capacity and Terminal 3’s expanded footprint is complete. At present, Terminal 3 is primarily used by Irish ULCC Ryanair, along with UK-based airlines British Airways and Loganair.

Terminal 2’s extension, which opened in 2021, has already served more than 30 million passengers and was recognized with the UNESCO-backed Prix Versailles award for architecture and design. The terminal’s final phase, including more than 20 new retailers, bars and restaurants, is due for completion later this year.

As part of the broader program, MAN has also completed external work on a second pier at Terminal 2 and begun trials of new taxiways that will boost airfield capacity. Infrastructure improvements include the construction of a new entrance road. Once the transformation is complete, more than 70% of the airport’s passengers are expected to use the new Terminal 2.

According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, MAN is scheduled to be served by 51 airlines during the summer 2025 season, offering more than 12.2 million departure seats—an increase of nearly 3% year-on-year. Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2.com collectively account for approximately 55% of all capacity, with Ryanair taking the largest share at 20.3%.

New routes from MAN this summer include easyJet’s services to Madrid and Milan Linate; Ryanair’s routes to Rabat, Morocco, and Toulouse; and Jet2’s flights to Jerez, Spain. Additionally, InidGo has indicated that it intends to start flying to MAN this summer, although tickets are yet to go on sale.

On May 12, Manchester Airports Group—which operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports—released its inaugural Travel Trends Unpacked report, offering insights into emerging consumer travel behaviors.

The report highlighted a growing appetite for alternative destinations, with travelers increasingly opting for less crowded and more affordable locations. Countries such as Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania have seen a notable rise in popularity as travelers seek out new experiences.

Despite this shift, Spain continues to dominate the list of top destinations for UK travelers. Tenerife ranked first in 2024 with more than 3.1 million passengers, followed by Malaga and Palma de Mallorca with 3 million each. Dublin ranked fourth with 2.8 million passengers, just ahead of Alicante, which also saw 2.8 million travelers.