Manchester airport equips passenger terminal with double RECO passenger lift

Manchester Airport (MAG) is investing a sum of up to GBP 1 billion in the transition of its airport. Half of Terminal 2 is currently being demolished. To offset the lost capacity, MAG has opened a temporary gate lounge for its passengers on airside (where the aircraft are located). RECO Lift Solutions has equipped the lounge with two RECO PP (Plug & Play) Temporary Passenger Lifts.

Temporary terminal gate

From Terminal 2, passengers first pass through a covered walkway installed by Lyndon Scaffolding. Located at the end of this temporary route are a stairway tower and two RECO PP Temporary Passenger Lifts. From this point onward, the temporary terminal gate is approximately 9m lower on airside level. The temporary RECO lifts ensure that passengers can reach the lounge quickly, easily and barrier-free. The temporary lounge was supplied by De Boer and has a capacity of 650 passengers. The lounge was built over a four-week period and will be operational for two years

No need for lift pit

Thanks to the high load-bearing capacity and thickness of the concrete on airside, RECO was able to anchor both lift shafts directly into the concrete using chemical HILTI adhesives. The advantage of this is that both lift shafts are completely separate from the walkway and the temporary lounge. Another major advantage for RECO’s client Laing O’Rourke (LOR) was that the RECO lift does not require a lift well. As a result, no structural modifications had to be made to the concrete at the airside installation site, thus preserving the strength of the concrete structure. Both RECO PP lifts were assembled in just one working day.

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Support from local lift company

For Laing O`Rourke, it was the 2nd time it had worked with RECO. Previously, RECO installed a temporary RECO lift for LOR at Custom House station (DLR line London). At MAG's request, the RECO lifts were fully integrated with the airport's building management system. The local lift company Jackson Lifts (with which MAG has a contract) supports RECO if necessary by following up on 1st line fault reports. Independent inspection body Bureau Veritas UK has inspected both lifts on behalf of RECO.

Specialist in temporary lift rental and installation within airports

In Europe, we see a trend that airports grow along with the growth in the number of air passengers. After Schiphol Airport, Munich and Dublin, Manchester is the 4th airport in Europe that has chosen a temporary RECO passenger lift. These airport projects are characterised by a very dynamic working environment with high safety requirements, where RECO has gained valuable experience. We look forward to the next airport project.

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