Manchester Airport has completed of the first major phase of its £1bn (R18bn) transformation programme with the completion of a new pier.
The 216m pier provides panoramic views of the airfield and will be used by all airlines currently operating out of T2.
The pier is equipped with 11 gates and air bridges and more than 1 400 seats.
To mark the launch, time-lapse footage was released showing how the pier has been built from scratch in less than 18 months.
Over the coming weeks, more flights will gradually move over to the new pier as it becomes fully operational.
The next phase of the transformation is the extension to the existing Terminal 2, which will see it more than double in size. The extension will open in Northern hemisphere summer 2020, with over 40 new food and beverage outlets and shops, followed by a further 40 when the existing building is fully refurbished.
Once the Terminal 2 extension opens, the existing building will close for refurbishment and reopen in 2022. Further piers will open in 2022 and 2024.
