Laing O’Rourke tipped for Manchester Airport contract

Laing O’Rourke is expected to be named the main contractor to deliver a large part of Manchester Airport’s £1bn transformation programme.

The project will see the demolition of Terminal 1, and a 900,000 sq ft extension to Terminal 2, alongside the construction of multi-storey car parks and new landing piers.

The Manchester Airport Transformation Programme is aiming to increase capacity from 20 million to 30 million annual passengers by 2025.

The programme is made up of 60 enhancements, including the expansion and reconfiguration of Terminal 2 to become the airport’s main terminal building, along with further improvements of Terminal 3 to cater for increased demand and an expanding flight schedule.

Laing O’Rourke is the frontrunner for a contract understood to be worth around £700m, beating John Sisk & Son, Willmott Dixon, and Beijing Construction Engineering Group. BCEG is also a partner in the joint venture delivering Airport City.

The architect is Pascall & Watson, Arcadis is project manager and Jacobs is the engineer.

A formal announcement is expected to be made in the coming weeks.