Manchester airport terminal relaunched after £50m facelift

An airport terminal which underwent a £50 million revamp based on recommendations from psychologists was officially relaunched today.

Manchester Airport's Terminal 1 has been redesigned and renovated over the past two years to improve the flow of passengers and create one of the UK's largest airside shopping and catering facilities.

During the project, airport officials consulted with psychologists who observed travellers' body language and monitored their comments to identify 'stress points' and areas which could be improved.

A £14 million, 14 lane security area has been installed to reduce queuing times, and retailers have spent almost £15 million kitting out 52 shop units. A new spa and VIP area have also been constructed to offer passengers a more luxurious experience.

Andrew Cornish, managing director of Manchester Airport, said that despite some setbacks in the revamp process, the newly refurbished airport had a "bright future" ahead of it.

"Our terminal redesigns have had to withstand the test of time, with the liquid ban and the terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport in 2007 meaning we had to take them back to the drawing board several times."

He added: "We've seen retail growth outstrip the high street over recent years and many of our passengers have enjoyed the offering here at Manchester previously, but we wanted to significantly invest in it and now we will wait to see whether those changes have an effect."

Terminal 1 was opened in 1962 by the Duke of Edinburgh and now handles over 11 million passengers every year.

In addition to the changes launched today, a new Emirates lounge, boarding area and gates are to be added to the terminal in preparation for Airbus A380 flights which are expected to begin operating from Manchester within the next two years.