Client Stories: Manchester Airports Group

11/03/25

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Transforming an airport while operating an airport is about as complex as transformation projects get.

In this short film, we hear how Manchester Airport transformed its terminal buildings, as well as its technology and workforce to deliver better service to more passengers and create greater value for the regional economy in the North.

The £1.3 billion transformation project has modernised almost every part of the airport from installing new piers to service larger, more efficient aircraft, to using data to analyse and minimise queuing through security. The transformation project is built on solid foundations across finance, technology, workforce and tax. Combined, the changes set Manchester Airport up to go from 30 million passengers today to 60 million passengers by 2050.

Our contributors:

Chris Woodroofe

Managing Director, Manchester Airport

Trudy Dunne-Kelsall

Manchester Airport Transformation Programme Handover Lead, Manchester Airports Group

Emma Suchland

North Regional Market Leader, PwC UK

“We talk about being proud to connect the North. As Manchester Airport grows, there’s a huge halo effect on the regional economy. But this transformation isn't just about infrastructure, it's also about technology and the way our people work.”

_{Chris Woodroofe

Managing Director, Manchester Airport}

Chris Woodroofe
We talk about being proud to connect the North. As Manchester Airport grows, there’s a huge halo effect on the regional economy.

Trudy Dunne-Kelsall
This transformation isn't just about the construction. It's about our passengers,
our people, and our new technologies.

Emma Suchland
One of the additional complexities here is the airport doesn't stand still. So, you have to do all of this transformation in the context of running an airport.

Today we're at Manchester Airport. As a local girl, it's brilliant to be here and see the transformation journey that's ongoing. It's a fantastic part of our thriving economy in the North West.

Chris Woodroofe
The transformation programme had two key objectives. The first one was to take the passenger experience to a whole new level and the second was to unlock the growth potential of our two runway airport.

Trudy Dunne-Kelsall
Passenger numbers are now at 30 million and have steadily increased since the old terminal was built in 1992.

Chris Woodroofe
But with this new Terminal Two infrastructure, we could grow to 45 million passengers and those two runways could unlock 60 million passengers in 25 years.

Emma Suchland
At PwC, we work with clients across many complex transformations. Here, it's as complex as you get. But that's what makes it exciting and why we love working with clients such as Manchester Airports Group.

Chris Woodroofe
We're in one of our great lounges. Behind me there's the work going on to build the new infrastructure. But actually, this transformation isn't just about infrastructure it's also about technology and the way our people work.

Emma Suchland
It’s been a real collaborative effort working with Manchester Airports Group on some of the critical foundations for this phenomenal transformation. Finance, digital, tax and workforce, all of which help deliver what we see today. It's really important that all of the different changes work together. It can't be in silos, so if you’re doing a digital transformation, you need to make sure the people have got the skills to use that digital transformation to best effect.

Chris Woodroofe
Technology's had a huge role in the overall transformation. We've really taken the opportunity to take our technology deployment up another level.

Trudy Dunne-Kelsall
We've introduced some brand new technologies, both in check-in with the kiosks and in security, which will make it a smoother and quicker process. We’re now able to advertise how long it takes to get through security, and improve the wait times, because we've now got a new technology which will map you all the way through the queuing zone.

Chris Woodroofe
As part of the transformation we also looked at our workforce and how best to deploy them. We created this team called the Resilience Team, who exist to make sure that if something doesn't quite go to plan, so fog, for example, or snow, we've got a group of multi-skilled people who we can deploy to make sure that as the aircrafts’ schedules move, you can still make sure passengers get their bags back on time. This has made a huge difference to the experience our passengers have.

Emma Suchland
The workforce of the future needs that agility. It needs a new set of skills, but still
maintaining that customer-first centricity.

Trudy Dunne-Kelsall
I think it's absolutely imperative to bring people on the journey. Passengers can see what we're trying to achieve.

Emma Suchland
There's a real sense of local pride as you walk through this airport, you know, to the Manchester bee, and we saw the honeycomb ceilings, you know, that sense of unity and community.

Trudy Dunne-Kelsall
I've got a great sense of pride working here. I do love my job.

Chris Woodroofe
As we look to the future, we see bigger and more efficient aircraft flying from the airport. But equally important is the inbound tourism.

Emma Suchland
There's so many fantastic reasons why people come to Manchester, but when you come and you land at an airport like this, that only enhances that experience.

Chris Woodroofe
They're going to the Lake District, they’re going to the Yorkshire Dales,
they’re going to Wales, they're going to visit great venues in Manchester, Liverpool. These are all of the opportunities that are created by having Manchester Airport in the centre of this economy.