A new luxury private terminal with a twist has been unveiled at Manchester Airport ahead of it opening later this year.
In what is being described as a UK first, the private terminal will be accessible to all airline travellers – starting at £90 per person.
The facility will “provide a personalised experience” for international passengers through limited-capacity reservations, available seven days a week.
CAVU, which was founded by Manchester Airports Group (MAG), is behind the project and partnered with BMW and chef Adam Reid.
The terminal is based at Manchester Airport (Credit – Toby Mitchell)
The deal with BMW will see guests chauffeured in the brand’s vehicles, including the BMW i7, BMW X7 or the BMW XM.
Reservations will open on Thursday, June 6, for passengers to use the private terminal from Monday, November 4.
Martin Jones, CEO of CAVU, said: “The launch of aether marks a pivotal moment in our mission to redefine airport travel.
“Building upon the success of our existing lounges, we recognise the rising demand for premium yet accessible airport experiences. aether fills this gap, elevating the airport’s premium travel offerings.”
The news comes after regional political and business leaders backed a report showing how further investment and government support for Manchester Airport could nearly triple its contribution to the UK economy and support 85,000 new jobs by 2050.
The report from engineering consultant Arup, which modelled four scenarios for the Northern economy with different levels of policy support and growth, found the airport could secure direct flights to 50 new cities including Sydney, Tokyo, Montreal, Mumbai, Riyadh, San Francisco and Cape Town.
It added that 25 new short-haul routes could also be unlocked, with total passenger volumes rising to as high as 60 million per year – compared with their current level of 27 million
The report showed the airport’s gross value added to the UK economy could rise to £16.3bn from £5.7bn and the number of jobs it supports to 165,000 from 80,000.