Construction starts on new boarding gates at Manchester Airport
Lead contractor Mace has commenced building an additional pier at Terminal 2, part of the airport’s £1.3bn transformation programme.
This second pier will help increase capacity and help futureproof the airport by providing 12 gates that allow passengers to walk directly onto the aircraft, as well as flexible aircraft stands that can accommodate planes of various sizes – including the large, double-deck Airbus A380.
The pier will mirror its predecessor, which is known as Pier 1 and opened in 2019. Mace’s construction programme for Pier 2 includes efforts to reduce embodied carbon emissions by up to 40%, such as pre-casting the concrete, manufacturing certain parts off-site, and reducing the amount of excavation work required.
“This exciting next phase of Manchester Airport’s transformation is giving us the opportunity to implement ideas, methodologies and solutions that will allow us to speed up delivery, reduce carbon and, crucially, minimise impact to the live airfield operations,” said Carl Dainter, head of global aviation at Mace Consult.
“This is only possible due to the collaborative and integrated relationship with have with the client and supply chain. By working as one team with shared values and objectives, we’re making excellent progress towards our 2025 open-to-passengers target.”
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The new pier is part of the Manchester Airport Group’s £440m final phase[1] of the aviation hub’s broader transformation programme. The programme, which was announced in 2015, has already resulted in Terminal 2 doubling in size.[2] This final phase also includes building a second security hall, extending the departure lounge to include 27 new shops and restaurants[3], and reconfiguring the airfield.
Jill Fraser, transformation programme delivery director at Manchester Airport, described the project as ensuring “passengers travelling through Manchester Airport will have an experience befitting a major global hub and allow us to operate in a sustainable way into the future”.
The Manchester Airport transformation programme is set to conclude in 2025. More than an estimated 500 jobs will be created during the construction process, according to MAG. As part of its contract, Mace will donate 500 hours of employee time for volunteering and will aim to have at least 5% of those working on the scheme be apprentices.
When work completes, the airport estimates that 80% of its passengers will use Terminal 2.
MAG deputy chief executive, and soon-to-be chief executive, Ken O’Toole said the transformation programme would “revolutionise the customer experience” of those travelling.
“We are already seeing the benefits of the first phase of our investment, with passengers and airlines providing excellent feedback on our extended Terminal 2,” O’Toole said. “Through this second phase, we will deliver yet more improvements to the passenger experience and cater for the growing network of airlines operating from Manchester.”
A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held on Monday. Credit: via MAG
References
- ^ £440m final phase (www.placenorthwest.co.uk)
- ^ doubling in size. (www.placenorthwest.co.uk)
- ^ 27 new shops and restaurants (www.placenorthwest.co.uk)