Manchester Airport Unveils Major Terminal 3 Expansion
Manchester Airport has kicked off the next stage of its decade-long, £1.3 billion transformation by announcing a comprehensive overhaul of Terminal 3. The work will expand and modernize the terminal’s entrance, security hall and departure lounge, as well as enlarge the arrivals hall. Passengers can expect a 40 percent increase in seating, new state-of-the-art security equipment, more retail and dining outlets, and a spacious baggage reclaim area designed to speed up journeys.
Launched in 2015, the airport’s wider transformation programme has already doubled the size of Terminal 2 and earned it a UNESCO-backed Prix Versailles award for architecture and design. Parts of the soon-to-be-decommissioned Terminal 1 will be repurposed to extend Terminal 3, which is directly attached to its smaller neighbour. “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,” says Managing Director Chris Woodroofe. Once Terminal 2 is operating at full capacity and Terminal 3’s expansion is complete, Terminal 1 will close in its current form.
Terminal 2’s latest extension opened in 2021 and has already handled more than 30 million passengers. Its final phase, set to finish later this year, will introduce over 20 new shops, bars and restaurants. Elsewhere on site, Manchester Airport Group has completed work on a second pier at Terminal 2 and is trialling new taxiways to boost runway throughput. A dedicated new entrance road has also been constructed to improve drop-off and pick-up flows. When the entire project wraps up, more than 70 percent of travellers will pass through the expanded Terminal 2.
Data from OAG Schedules Analyser shows that summer 2025 will see 51 airlines operating from Manchester, offering over 12.2 million departure seats—up nearly 3 percent year on year. Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2.com together account for around 55 percent of all capacity, with Ryanair alone holding a 20.3 percent share. This summer’s new routes include easyJet’s services to Madrid and Milan Linate, Ryanair’s links to Rabat and Toulouse, and Jet2’s Barcelona-adjacent flights to Jerez. Low-cost carrier IndiGo has also signalled its intent to begin operations at Manchester this summer, though tickets have yet to go on sale.
On May 12, Manchester Airport Group released its inaugural Travel Trends Unpacked report, revealing a rising appetite among UK holidaymakers for less crowded, more affordable destinations. Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania have seen notable popularity gains as travellers seek fresh experiences. Nevertheless, the top spots remain firmly held by established favourites: Tenerife led the pack in 2024 with over 3.1 million UK visitors, followed by Malaga and Palma de Mallorca with 3 million each. Dublin and Alicante rounded out the top five, each welcoming 2.8 million travellers last year.
As Terminal 3’s redesign progresses, Manchester Airport aims to deliver faster, more comfortable journeys through its upgraded facilities. By reallocating space from Terminal 1 and finishing Terminal 2’s expansion, the airport will strengthen its position as the UK’s leading northern hub, ready to accommodate future growth in passenger numbers and airline partnerships.
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