Major UK airport reveals £1.3billion makeover plans with 500-seat bar & new shops as it reaches key milestone

A MAJOR UK airport is set to be transformed by a £1.3billion makeover.

The travel hub will be kitted out with a 500-seat bar, shops, and a new dining hall.

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Manchester Airport has revealed computer-generated images showing the new design plans for the multi-million pound redevelopment of Terminal 3.

The huge revamp comes after the £1.3billion project to spruce up Terminal 2 reached a key milestone.

There are plans in place to build a new road, which will be used to trial taxiways on the airfield.

Manchester Evening News revealed that the old entrance to Terminal 1 will become T3's new entrance.

There are no details yet on the new shops and bar area that will call T3 their home, but more seats and space are being promised.

Once the renovation work on T2 is complete, which is likely to be this year, T1 will close completely.

T3 first opened in 1989 and is largely used for domestic flights.

The T1 and T3 buildings will be joined together as part of the new plans.

The vast project is also set to remodel the entrance to the terminal, the security hall and departure lounge.

In a subtle nod to the Manchester worker bee, T3 will have honeycomb lights.

Earlier this week, the airport was plunged into chaos after it was affected by a power cut.

Airport bosses confirmed the power failure was located in Terminal 3.

They said it sparked disruption at passport control as computer terminals went down.

The lights also went off inside the building which led to hundreds of queuing travellers "being shoehorned into corridors", as reported by the M.E.N.

One passenger fumed on social media: "We are being held with no details on delays or possible cancellations."

Another vented: "I think flights are affected though as the first officer and crew came out of the plane to tell us we’re delayed as we’re waiting for someone from the power company to come."

"Flights are very much affected," claimed a third.

Someone else penned: "We’re sat on a plane with no fuel and have been told incoming flights are diverted. Definitely affected."

One holidaymaker added: "Delayed over an hour sitting onboard, air conditioning turned off, waiting for fuel."

This was echoed by another scathing comment which read: "We too are sat on plane... fastened to a jetty that cannot be released without power."

Replacement buses were brought in to transport passengers from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1.

Immigration staff had been forced to use laptops instead of the official system to check travel documents.

A Manchester Airport spokesperson stated on X: "We're aware of a technical issue affecting some systems in Terminal 3 this evening.

"Flights are not affected. We are working to fix this issue as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience.

"Our customer service and resilience teams are on hand to assist passengers."

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