It’s all change at Manchester Airport for Emirates
Since it started flying from MAN, Emirates has always been based at Terminal 1. Passengers departing for Dubai in premium cabins had access to the dedicated, and quite pleasant, Emirates lounge. From November 2025, the airline, alongside many others, will move to T2. That means a change in lounge.
Here’s what you could have won
Emirates’ previous lounge was upstairs in Terminal 1. Due to its age, it wasn’t particularly modern, but it was a solid, attractive lounge with a great food and drink offer. It was also a good size, and it had to be as Emirates A380s are premium heavy.
Even with all of the business and first-class passengers that fly out three times a day, it was never rammed, and on our last visit, it was a serene and relatively quiet lounge. I wrote up a review of that lounge in 2025.
As of Tuesday, the 18th November 2025, Emirates moved to Terminal 2 due to the significant Manchester Airport terminal changes. The original Emirates lounge in T1 has now closed for good.
The current Emirates lounge in T2
As of the 18th November, and for the foreseeable future, Emirates does not have a dedicated lounge at Manchester Airport.
This is a strange situation for the airline. They have three flights a day, and are the most premium heavy airling at Manchester. They are also the only operator to have a first class cabin flying from MAN. This is not something that Emirates will be happy about.
A new lounge is being built, but it is not expected to open until Q2 or Q3 2026. Until then Emirates passengers that are entitled to lounge access will be sent to the 1903 Lounge.
The 1903 is the most premium of the airport-operated lounges. CAVU, a division of Manchester Airport Group, run that lounge alongside the less premium Escape Lounge. Both are used by other airlines and by anyone who wants to pay for access.
The service, food and drink are not at the same level as the original Emirates lounge. On our last flight with Qatar, we used the 1903, which was fine but not particularly outstanding. It is not a like-for-like swap, and there’s a bigger issue….
Manchester T2 doesn’t have enough lounges
In the rush to get all the airlines moved over to Terminal 2, Manchester Airport has left a big gap: the number and size of the lounges in the terminal. T2 is now the home to every premium airline at MAN. That includes:
- The oneworld airlines (BA, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Finnair, Royal Air Marroc, Royal Jordanian, Qatar, Cathay)
- Etihad, with its two flights a day to Abu Dhabi
- Emirates, with its three A380 flights
- Turkish, with up to four flights a day
- Singapore Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
There are more airlines that include (Euro) Business Class cabins, such as KLM and Air France.
At the time of writing, there are just three lounges in Terminal 2: The 1903, The Escape and The Aspire. That simply isn’t enough. All three of those spaces accept walk-ins and paid entry. It’s a painful situation.
Historically, there was talk of a oneworld lounge at Manchester Airport, which would soak up a lot of the premium traffic. This now feels less likely to happen. There was also talk about an airline-only lounge, although nothing has been said recently. That is more likely to occur, as something has to change.
The airport, in its wisdom, is planning to close the 1903 Lounge. It would be staggering if they did this before any new lounges open, but don’t put it past Manchester Airport to make a bad decision.
What we do know is that Emirates is opening its own lounge, and work is well underway.
The new Emirates lounge at Manchester Airport
Emirates is building a brand new lounge in T2. It’s highly likely that you’ll be able to board the plane from the lounge itself, which will be a significant bonus. This will be the first time this was possible in the modern era.
The lounge will also be built to Emirates’ high standards. That should mean a lounge that’s even better than the original one. The food and drink on offer will be at a premium level, and the service should be of a high standard too.
No date has been confirmed for opening, but rumours do suggest mid-2026. Unfortunately, that means if you’re travelling with Emirates before then, you’ll have to make do with a contract lounge.
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