Emirates opens new-design lounge at Manchester Airport

Emirates has opened a new £10 million lounge at Manchester Airport. The facility is located in Terminal 2 and offers direct boarding gate access for passengers flying with the airline.

Complimentary access is available for Business Class or First Class passengers, excluding ‘Business Class Special’ fares, as well as Emirates Skywards Gold and Platinum members. The lounge is situated by the C gates, one level below the main departure concourse, and is accessible via lift or staircase. Its opening times align with Emirates’ three daily flights from Manchester: 6:15am-9:50am, 10:05am-2:05pm, and 5:20pm-9:20pm. It may stay open longer if flights are delayed. Direct gate access eliminates the need for passengers to re-enter security.

Design, capacity and amenities

The lounge is the third globally to feature Emirates' brand-new design, following openings in Frankfurt and Munich. It spans 740 square metres and can seat 160 guests, comfortably exceeding the typical 90 premium passengers on an Emirates A380 flight from Manchester.

The space is divided into dedicated dining and living room areas. Design features include cream leather, light wood herringbone floors, brushed bronze metalwork, and Ghaf tree motifs. Each table is decorated with a bouquet of red orchids. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide views of the aircraft.

Integrated charging ports, including USB-C and magnetic Qi wireless chargers, are available throughout. The lounge also stocks physical newspapers and magazines, including the Financial Times. Two curtained meeting rooms are located at the far end. Facilities include gender-segregated toilets, prayer rooms, and two shower rooms supplied with Voya toiletries.

The buffet offers a range of food and drink options.

Two drinks stations serve the lounge, with the living room bar being partly staffed. A reviewer noted the lounge modernizes Emirates’ traditional luxury while retaining old-school touches. The lack of à la carte dining was noted as a potential area for improvement.

Context within Emirates’ UK lounge network

The Manchester lounge replaces the airline's previous Terminal 1 facility. It is one of six Emirates lounges in the UK, joining those at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Stansted. The direct gate boarding feature is a signature of Emirates’ flagship lounges in Dubai, Heathrow, and Stansted. This new design signals future rollouts across the airline's global network.

Visitor experience and paid access

The lounge has been operational for over a month. Paid access is available for economy or premium economy passengers. The cost is approximately £110 for Skywards members and around £137 for non-members.

A reviewer invited to the opening ceremony stated, "Emirates built a new £10 million lounge, this time with something the old one never had: direct gate boarding." They also confirmed, "This new lounge is also the third Emirates lounge in the world to sport its brand-new lounge design, after Frankfurt and Munich." The lounge operates in alignment with Emirates’ three daily Manchester flights, offering direct gate access and premium services until the last passenger boards.