Following the reintroduction of quarantine measures for arrivals from Portugal, Manchester Airport has shared the latest updates to services at the hub including a new service to Belfast.
Flights:
Passengers should be aware that they will now need to quarantine on return to the UK if travelling to destinations removed from the travel corridors list. They are reminded to check the latest Government guidance on travel corridors and requirements upon returning to the UK.
Particular notice should be given to last week’s travel corridor announcement regarding Portugal. It sees the mainland added to the list, but the islands of the Azores and Madeira remain exempt. The new approach allows the Government to regionalise data and include or exclude certain islands from the list. Hungary also came off the exempt list at the weekend.
Some carriers might cancel services to destinations that are removed from the list, so passengers should check with their airline if they have any specific flight enquiries.
It is also important to take account of the latest Foreign and Commonwealth Travel advice relating to any restrictions in your destination.
Commenting on the new changes to the exemption list for quarantine, Karen Smart, MD at Manchester Airport, said:
It was pleasing to see the long overdue introduction of an island-by-island approach to travel corridors. While this will initially mean restrictions to travel to some Greek islands, it should enable key markets like the Balearics and Canaries to be opened up more quickly.
“The protection of public health is rightly the number one priority at the moment, even though it may be disappointing for those passengers due to travel to Portugal, who now have to quarantine for 14 days on their return.
“This is why we need to refine the wider travel corridor system to enable a targeted approach to low-risk regions within mainlands. In addition, Government must prioritise the development of a testing regime to cut passengers’ quarantine time on return to the UK.
“I’d like to thank all our passengers for continuing to abide by the measures in place during these uncertain times, and also thank all our staff who have gone above and beyond to ensure safe travel for all.”
Monday 14th September also saw Aer Lingus (operated by Stobart) start flights to Belfast City. Up to four return flighta will operate daily to the Northern Irish capital, adding to the airline’s existing routes to Dublin and Cork.
Julian Carr, Aviation Director at Manchester Airport, said:
It’s great to see flights to Belfast City take off from Manchester Airport today, giving our passengers greater choice and flexibility when accessing the capital of Northern Ireland. I imagine the flights will be extremely popular for all passengers looking to access the city.
“Furthermore, the flights will also provide excellent onward connectivity for the people of Northern Ireland, who will have easy access to our international long-haul network.”
Stobart Air Managing Director Andy Jolly said:
We are pleased to establish a base at Belfast City Airport and to work closely with Manchester Airport, Belfast City Airport and our partners Aer Lingus to operate flights to and from Manchester.
“Stobart Air has worked hard over the past number of months to protect our airline during challenging times and to position us for the future. The launch of this service is part of that.
“This new Aer Lingus Regional route will facilitate key links and connectivity between these cities and ensure we provide choice, value and convenience for our customers. We look forward to welcoming our passengers on board this Manchester-Belfast route from today.”
Terminals:
Throughout the pandemic the airport has worked closely with its airlines and retailers to align its operations with passenger demand, to deliver the best possible customer experience.
To efficiently meet the current capacity and demand for travel, flights from Terminal Two were moved across to Terminal One on 2nd September. Anyone who would normally have flown from Terminal Two will now be departing and arriving from Terminal One.
Passengers are advised to check which terminal they’re flying from before arriving at the airport, as some airlines are operating from a different terminal than usual.
UK Government Passenger Locator Form
With the Government’s relaxation of quarantine, and introduction of travel corridors, all passengers arriving into Manchester Airport need to be ready for UK Border control by completing a Passenger Locator Form. Upon arrival they will need to show either a print-out of the form or have it on their phone.
Safety Measures:
For the last three months the airport has been operating a range of measures to keep all passengers and staff safe. These include wearing face coverings, enhanced cleaning, Perspex screens, bookable security slots and temperature checks.
The airport also encourages passengers to watch this video before coming to the airport, to ensure they are as prepared as possible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=066EkSedbFo
Retail Offering:
In addition to passengers being able to purchase food and drink, they can also take advantage of the free water fountains across the site to fill up empty bottles. The following retailers are currently open at the airport:
Terminal One:
- Terminal One – JD Sports – airside
- Terminal One – Zoodle – airside
- Terminal One – Hamleys – airside
- Terminal One – Accessorize – airside
- Terminal One – Dixons – airside
- Terminal One – WH Smith – landside and airside
- Terminal One – Burger King – airside
- Terminal One – Grain Loft – airside
- Terminal One – Starbucks – airside
- Terminal One – Fat Face – airside
- Terminal One – Pret a Manger – airside and landside
- Terminal One – Biza – duty free
- Terminal One – Playnation – airside
- Terminal One – Timberland – airside
- Terminal One – Boots – landside and airside
- Terminal One – Greggs – landside
- Terminal One – Spar – landside
- Terminal One – Next – airside
- Terminal One – AeroSpa – airside
- Terminal One – Direct Dry Cleaning – landside
- Terminal One – Excess Baggage – landside
- Terminal One – Jo Malone/Bobbi Brown – airside
- Terminal One – Attitude – airside
- Terminal One – Upper Crust – airside
- Terminal One – Café Balzar – airside
- Terminal One – Biza (Duty Free) – arrivals
- Terminal One – Dune – airside
- Terminal One – Paperchase – airside
- Terminal One – Victoria’s Secret – airside
- Terminal One – Temptation – airside
- Terminal One – Giraffe – airside
- Terminal One – Bar MCR – airside
- Terminal One – Travelex Bureau – airside and landside
Terminal Three:
- Terminal Three – WH Smiths – landside (arrivals)
- Terminal Three – Boots – airside
- Terminal Three – Pork & Pickle – airside
- Terminal Three – WH Smith – airside
- Terminal Three – Caffe Nero – landside
- Terminal Three – Biza – duty free
- Terminal Three – Lion & Antelope – airside
- Terminal Three – KFC – airside
- Terminal Three – Costa Coffee – airside
- Terminal Three – Travelex Bureau – airside and landside
- Terminal Three – Accessorize – airside
- Terminal Three – WH Smith – second kiosk store – airside
Caffé Nero is also open at the Ground Transport Interchange.
The following services are now also available:
- Travelex Click & Collect now available, order before you travel and collect in store.
- Travelex VAT Refund service now available at all Bureau desks (open 5am-7pm). T1 Check In (opposite Emirates desks), T1 Airside (after security), T3 Landside.
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