Work starts on new 861,000 sq ft taxiway at Manchester Airport

Work has started on a new taxiway at Manchester Airport to make its operations more efficient.

The project, part of the airport’s £1bn transformation programme, will reconfigure the airfield to help feed the redeveloped Terminal 2.

Taxiway Delta Echo will span over 861,000 sq ft across its taxiway and apron.

Construction firm Galliford Try will pour more than 430,000 sq ft of concrete and install 16 miles of cabling when it delivers the works, under a contract secured in December.

Engineering firm Jacobs is providing Manchester Airports Group plc (MAG) with client project and programme management support services, both for the airfield project and the wider transformation programme.

Taxiway Delta Echo is due for completion by July 2020. It is expected to improve aircraft access to the new Terminal 2, cutting down on taxi times and fuel burned.

The project will be the biggest change to the airfield since Runway 2 launched in 2001.

Manchester Airport CEO Andrew Cowan said: “It’s great to see the start of work for the reconfiguration of our taxiways, which will help to unlock the airfield capacity that will allow the airport to continue to grow.

“It’s another exciting milestone alongside the works already happening on the terminal building. Our airline customers will see taxi times reduced which will ultimately improve the experience for our 28m passengers.”

Chris Scoffield, managing director for infrastructure, rail and aviation at Galliford Try, commented: “Today marks the start of the next phase of this exciting project.

“We’re looking forward to beginning this new stage of the transformation project, which will enhance the facilities and connectivity of the airport for many years to come.”

Graham Mallett, airfield programme manager at Jacobs, said of the scheme: “We are pleased to support Manchester Airport in the safe and efficient delivery of new airfield infrastructure, giving airlines and their passengers greater opportunities to travel to and from their destinations of choice.”

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