Summary:
- Manchester Airport opens 470-seat Sporting Chance sports bar as part of Terminal 3 upgrade.
- New space adds capacity, 69 screens, airfield views and integrated F&B and retail experience.
- Development supports wider transformation driven by £1.3bn Terminal 2 investment programme.
The ongoing project to expand and enhance Terminal 3 at Manchester Airport – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – has taken a huge step forward with the opening of a new space including a 470-seat sports bar.
The new bar, Sporting Chance, has opened in a section of Terminal 3 that was previously occupied by private lounges and a viewing area. Sporting Chance features 69 television screens that will show a wide range of sporting events – including some screens in booths that can be controlled by travellers – a huge food menu and panoramic views of the airfield from one of the airport’s best vantage points.
“Here at Manchester Airport we’re proud to connect the North to the world with a route network of more than 200 destinations through upwards of 50 airlines,” said Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe. “It means we have something for everyone in terms of where you can go – but that’s matched by what we offer right here at the airport. We’ve talked a lot about our £1.3 billion investment in Terminal 2 but a key thing that has enabled is our work to improve Terminal 3 – and the opening of Sporting Chance is a huge step forward in that project. Sporting Chance is a fantastic new bar – perfect for watching your favourite team before your flight, eating a great meal or just enjoying a spectacular view – but it’s also in a whole new area for most passengers adding more seats and space to the terminal. It means even passengers who don’t use the bar will be able to enjoy the extra space and capacity in the terminal. I’m looking forward to sampling the bar myself and hearing people’s feedback.”
The development is part of a programme of improvement to Terminal 3, which has been enabled by the airport’s £1.3 billion investment into Terminal 2, which has seen it double in size. The wider project has allowed for Terminal 1 – the airport’s oldest section – to close because Terminal 2 can now cater for around 75% of the airport’s overall traffic.
The opening of Sporting Chance is just one part of the work to improve Terminal 3. A new entrance and security hall that makes use of space from Terminal 1 has already opened and further new spaces and facilities will open in due course.
“Sporting Chance represents a further evolution of Avolta’s UK F&B portfolio and responds to continued passenger demand for premium hospitality spaces and access to live sport while travelling,” said Beth Brewster, Senior Coordinating Director F&B & Essentials UK, Avolta. “The ability to integrate brand activation and retail selling within the bar environment is an important step in bringing retail and F&B closer together. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our colleagues at MAG for their valued partnership and support. Together we have delivered a space that combines operational excellence with an engaging, all-day offer.”
The opening of Sporting Chance means another bar, the Lion and Antelope, will close. The Lion and Antelope occupies a central space in the terminal, so its closure will open up more capacity for passengers.
“Everything we’re doing in Terminal 3 is focused on improving the passenger experience – our new bar, Sporting Chance, will be a great addition to the terminal and will provide more than 200 extra seats,” said Manchester Airport Retail Director Richard Jackson. “But that doesn’t mean we’re not really sad to see last orders the Lion and Antelope. It’s been here since 2015 and I know that it’s got a special place in a lot of people’s hearts; it’s been the starting point for people’s first holidays, a place for newlyweds to raise a toast before they go on honeymoon, it’s where business travellers have relaxed ahead of long trips and much more. So people can feel assured that we know how special it is – and we wouldn’t be closing it if we didn’t know that what we’re putting in its place will be brilliant.”
Manchester Airport is nearing the end of its decade-long programme to reshape Terminal 2 into the ultra-modern, beating heart of the airport. An extension, which increased the terminal’s footprint by 150%, opened in 2021; the original terminal building was then closed and has been given a complete overhaul to bring it up to the same aesthetic and functional standards as the extension. More than three quarters of the airport’s passengers are now using the new T2 facilities. The final touches to the new-look Terminal 2 are expected to be complete in time for the summer.
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