Manchester Airport has invested £3.5m in the security areas in Terminal 1, the flagship terminal at the Northern gateway.
Opened this week, the multi-million pound investment has been made to improve the facilities and security offering. The improved security area will principally serve passengers who use ground level check-in, ensuring there is more capacity in the main security area in Terminal 1 on the upper level.
The improvements have been made now in preparation for passengers who will use the area over the Christmas period and means the new ground level security will be well-established prior to summer 2015.
The new ground level security adds 40% to the security capacity in Terminal 1 and will help to improve customer service levels, given the growth the airport is experiencing in passenger numbers and the amount of cabin baggage that passengers are carrying.
The new lanes will be capable of processing around 800 passengers, or 1,200 trays, per hour. Additionally, the airport has invested in the latest equipment and technology to speed up the journey through security, such as parallel load arrangements, radio frequency tracking of trays and the latest body scanner.
As well as the equipment, the airport will be recruiting an additional 200 security staff to operate the new area in preparation for next summer’s peak season, to add to the 840 security staff who are currently working on site across the three terminals, with more being recruited monthly.
Tricia Williams, Customer Services Director for Manchester Airport, said:
“As we continue to grow, we need to invest in the infrastructure here on site at Manchester to ensure that customers experience efficient but highly effective security screening.
“Terminal 1 is our busiest terminal with over 10 million passengers using the building every year. We need to ensure we are investing in the right areas to handle the additional traffic.
“It’s not just in the departure process but arrivals also and we have worked alongside UK Border Force to invest in the latest generation electronic passport gates in arrivals in Terminal 2 and now Terminal 1. We’re also adding more lanes and more officers into security in Terminal 1. Terminal 3 will then open new e-passport gates in an expanded arrivals area in February 2015.”
Manchester Airport has been undergoing a rapid period of growth and is expected to reach its peak figure of 22m within the next few months, a figure last reached in 2007.
Approximately a million passengers a year are coming back to the airport thanks to marketing campaigns such as the ‘Fly Manchester’ push and routes being added in the year ahead that include New York, Miami and Hong Kong. Leisure carriers across the terminals are continuing to grow their operations and add additional aircraft for next summer also.