Manchester Airport is celebrating the completion of the first major phase of its £1bn transformation programme.

Passengers flying out of the UK’s third largest airport were this morning welcomed onto a giant new pier, which connects to Terminal 2, for the first time.

The 216m pier – longer than Manchester’s Beetham Tower is tall – provides extensive panoramic views of the airfield and will be used by all airlines currently operating out of T2. The first flights to depart were both operated by TUI Airways and went to Funchal, Madeira, and Naples, Italy.

To mark the launch, timelapse footage was released showing how the pier has been built from scratch in less than 18 months, along with drone footage captured before the building was opened to the public.

Andrew Cowan, CEO of Manchester Airport, said: “Today is a significant milestone for Manchester Airport as we deliver the first phase of the biggest investment we have made in our 80 year history.

“We are delighted to wave off the first handful of flights from the new pier, as we build up to bringing it into full operation in the days ahead.

“What that means is our customers can start to enjoy the new facilities, at the same time as getting a taste of what to expect from the next stages of our £1bn transformation programme.

“Today is just the start.  Over the coming years we will transform the airport for all of our customers, giving the North the world class airport it deserves. The investment we are making and the range of destinations we connect to, in all corners of the world, underlines the vital role Manchester Airport plays in creating jobs and driving growth across the North of England.

“Having first put a spade in the ground in July 2017, a huge amount of work has gone into getting our new pier and multi-storey car park ready to open today and I would like to thank all of our colleagues and delivery partners for their efforts.”

The new pier was opened at around 4.30am today, with passengers treated to entertainment by the NoTTwins, who featured on Britain’s Got Talent, the Loose Change Buskers who are raising money for Cancer Research, guitarist Jack O’Malley and Christian Marshall a caricaturist to mark the occasion.

Also, attending the celebrations was TUI Airways crew member Caroline Cox from Bolton.  She operated on the first flight out of Terminal 2 to Alicante when it opened back in 1993.  Having worked for the company for 33 years, her elder son is now following in her foot steps and is a first officer for the airline.

The pier has been built with more than 300 individual panes of glass and is equipped with 11 gates and airbridges, more than 1,400 seats and stylish wayfinding throughout.

The opening marks the next phase of the airport’s transformation programme that will see Terminal 2 become the focal point of its operations. More than 1,750 people are currently working on the project which recently welcomed its 100th apprentice as work gathers pace.   Over the coming weeks more and more flights will gradually move over to the new pier as it becomes fully operational.

The next phase of the £1bn transformation is the extension to the existing Terminal 2. Work is well underway and will see the terminal more than double in size.  The extension will open in summer 2020 with 40 plus new food and beverage outlets and shops, followed by a further 40 when the existing building is fully refurbished 

Dawn Wilson, Managing Director TUI Airways, said: “It’s a real honour to be part of this landmark occasion at Manchester Airport – a major hub for TUI Airways. To operate the first flights from the new Pier One is a proud moment, and another first to add to the list of memories and history we have at Manchester.

“The transformation project is improving the overall holiday experience for thousands of our customers which is an ethos we live by; seamless service from the moment you begin your holiday journey.

“We look forward to continuing our relationship with Manchester and investing in the region through increased capacity, new routes, and basing new aircraft there, allowing more choice and flexibility for holidaymakers in the North West.” 

Peter Jones, Operations Leader for Laing O’Rourke, said: “It is a significant achievement to have the pier, link bridge and multi-storey car park ready for airport guests within 18 months. The project’s design, construction methods and logistics were all planned digitally before construction on the edge of the live airfield began. Our digital engineering approach meant we, and our project partners were able to work together efficiently; putting productive solutions in place to minimise disruption to passengers and staff, while delivering new facilities for Manchester Airport on time.

“We are now looking ahead to the completion of the Terminal 2 extension which is due to be handed over to Manchester Airports Group next year.”

Turkey’s leading low-cost carrier, Pegasus Airlines, will launch flights between Manchester Airport and Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen, on 1 July 2019.

Pegasus’ new flights will take off from Manchester Airport at 12:40, arriving into Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen at 18:50; flights from Istanbul will depart at 09:30, reaching Manchester Airport at 11:55. They will operate five times a week.

As well as offering Manchester Airport’s 28.5 million passengers additional access to the city of Istanbul, Pegasus’ flights will also allow them easy connections onto a host of international destinations such as Bahrain, Beirut and Sharjah. It will also offer seamless connectivity onto domestic flights across Turkey.

Julian Carr, Aviation Director at Manchester Airport, said: “It’s great to see Pegasus Airlines launch direct flights to Istanbul from Manchester Airport. The route will offer the 22 million people in our vast catchment area additional connectivity and access to Turkey and beyond.

“I am sure it will prove incredibly popular and look forward to the route taking off in July.”

Güliz Öztürk, Pegasus Airlines’ CCO, said: “We are delighted to be launching our Manchester route. UK is among our key markets in Europe and we’re confident that these new Manchester flights will be warmly welcomed by our future guests in Northern England.

“We are delighted to extend our operations to an additional key region of the country, giving our UK guests more choice and flexibility when planning their travels. We hope to attract more guests who will enjoy travelling to Istanbul and the exciting destinations beyond, both withinTurkey and elsewhere in our network always at our affordable fares.”

Unity Trust, the commercial bank with a social conscience is celebrating a significant milestone, with loan balances now exceeding more than £400m, with the North West having the largest number of borrowers outside of London.

Unity, which has recently opened an office in Deansgate, Manchester reached this lending milestone in the same month as they announced a 68% increase in profit and confirmed that they had approved over £200m of lending to firms and projects that will deliver community, economic or environmental benefits.

CEO Margaret Willis said: “Since becoming independent from the Co-operative Bank, we have seen our lending and profitability more than double. This could not be achieved without loyal customers, shareholder support and engaged and committed employees.

“Increasingly organisations and businesses are looking for an ethical bank that shares their values. Our performance shows that profit and community value go hand in hand. The better we perform, the greater societal impact we can have.”

Manchester-based New Dawn Legal is offering a market niche, with independent legal software implementation advice and training – making software customisation decisions and training easier for law firms.

Established by Dawn Dutton, who has over 20 years’ experience in legal services, including implementation project management and training, New Dawn Legal helps North West law firms make the most of their CRM, CMS, PMS and DMS solutions.

The company works with leaders in the legal sector, including Brabners LLP, ensuring that the software is customised and implemented effectively, as well as ensuring that staff are fully trained to use the software to maximise the return on investment.

Dawn said: “We want to cost-effectively help law firms make the right decisions when faced with implementing one of the myriad of different software solutions for dealing with day-to-day activities, including fee earning, lead generation and finance.

“We support firms, from helping them select the right solution to assigning them with a dedicated specialist Project Manager, who will manage the entire end-to-end implementation for them, freeing up time for the Project Team.

“Most importantly, we are independent and have chosen not to partner with any software providers, meaning we only give completely impartial advice.  We pride ourselves on our honesty and integrity.

“Our extensive experience of working for both law firms and legal software providers perfectly positions New Dawn Legal to offer independent and expert advice to legal practices, both large and small.

“We are passionate about using our legal and technical experience to help law firms make the right decisions when customising a system.  More importantly, though, we can foresee potential pitfalls before they arise, due to our experience.

“I know exactly what it is like to be a busy fee earner and I also understand the mechanics of how the leading legal software systems work. So many times, I have seen miscommunications between law firms and software suppliers, which have had the potential to cause delays and increase costs. I also pride myself on my ability to be able to communicate effectively in both directions.”

Business advisory firm Quantuma has appointed Rob Parry as a partner to its Manchester office, as it expands its North West presence.

Rob has almost 30 years’ industry experience as a specialist forensic accountant, with a UK-wide, and international, remit. He joins from the Manchester office of a global accountancy firm, where he served for 24 years. Previously, he was an accountant and management consultant at KPMG.

Rob acts as an expert witness, providing evidence and advisory support on corporate transaction and shareholder disputes, company and share valuation, loss of profit from breach of contract, compulsory purchase and professional indemnity, alongside complex loss of earnings cases. He acts as an independent expert determiner, which also gives him valuable insight when preparing submissions for determinations on behalf of clients.

This appointment follows the opening of Quantuma’s new Manchester offering, bolstering the city’s booming financial and professional services sector. From its base at Number One, Spinningfields, the firm provides a full range of advisory services, including corporate finance, forensic accounting and restructuring.

Rob Parry said: “It’s widely-known in the market that Quantuma is breaking the mould of a traditional professional services firm. The team is of an exceptional calibre, and its boutique structure means it is able to take on some of the most exciting mandates across the UK. I look forward to continuing to work with the outstanding North West lawyers and their clients at this exciting time for Quantuma.”

Carl Jackson, Managing Partner at Quantuma, said:“Rob is highly-regarded in his field for his expertise, and a sought-after advisor for complex commercial disputes, so it’s a real pleasure to welcome him to the fold.

“The North West is a commercial hotspot, and a target area of growth for us. There is an influx of investment in Manchester, and with its strong connectivity links and breadth of talent, the city’s financial and professional services sector will continue to evolve.

“We will continue to grow our headcount in the region to service the strong pipeline of activity.”