Each year Manchester Airport, the global gateway to Northern England, serves around 19 million passengers and more than 60 airlines flying directly to about 200 destinations.

The airport officially opened in 1938 as Ringway Airport. When World War II broke out the following year, it became a hub of wartime engineering activity as an aircraft manufacturing center for Fairey Aviation and Avro. It also acted as a training center for more than 60,000 parachutists. Airport facilities expanded with three new runways and 10 new hangars. Once the war ended, the airport went back to business as usual, eventually renamed Manchester International Airport in 1975.

Recently, the airport opened a newly extended Terminal 2, the center of a huge transformation program. The expansion offers the latest innovations in travel technology and state-of-the-art facilities, ensuring passengers receive a world-class experience as they travel.

“After a long wait, we are delighted to confirm the first passengers will be able to enjoy our new Terminal 2 this week,” said Karen Smart, managing director, as the airport unveiled the new terminal in July. “It is a proud milestone for our airport as we begin to emerge from the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 crisis and an important moment in our 83-year history.”

Highlights include a bright and modern check-in hall; the latest technology for security; a stunning departure lounge with a wide variety of shops, bars and restaurants; and a new arrivals experience with a spacious immigration hall providing a warm welcome to Manchester. Ahead of the terminal opening, the Civil Aviation Authority recognized Manchester International Airport as COVID-19 safe for travelers. Assisted by the CAA and Public Health England, the airport established and maintained a variety of COVID-secure protocols to meet the international guidance on safety measurements provided by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Manchester Airport continues to comply with the guidance on general hygiene, cleanliness, masks and face coverings, the mental health and well-being of employees and passengers and much more.

A new terminal isn’t the only big change for the airport. Thanks to a new partnership with Fulcrum BioEnergy Limited UK, Manchester will become the first airport in the United Kingdom to have a direct feed of sustainable aviation fuel. The airport will receive its supply of SAF through a pipeline that already runs between the two facilities. The partnership will also support a sustainable recovery from the pandemic and promote green skills and provide new job opportunities for people in the area.