Manchester Airport has today opened its brand new passenger pier as part of a wider £1bn transformation of Terminal 2.

Longer than Manchester’s Beetham Tower is tall, the 216m pier features 11 boarding gates and fully heated and air-conditioned air bridges docking planes to the gates for passengers. While providing extensive panoramic views of the airfield that will be used by all airlines currently operating out of T2.

The pier has been built with more than 300 individual panes of glass and includes more than 1,400 seats and wayfinding throughout. The opening marks the next phase of the airport's transformation programme that will see T2 become the focal point of its operations.

Across the latest phase of development, a total of 1,800 people have worked on the project with the 100th apprentice recently welcomed as work gathers pace.

Andrew Cowan, chief executive of Manchester Airport, hailed the development as a “significant milestone” in the airport’s biggest investment drive in its 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,” Cowan said. “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."

The first flights to depart today were both operated by TUI Airways and went to Funchal, Madeira, and Naples, Italy.

Cowan added: “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.”