The change means people using the Drop-off and Pick up zones at the airport to “streamline” the process.
People who drop off or pick up their loved ones at the airport will no longer need to stop at a barrier to leave the parking zones.
It says the change “will significantly reduce waiting times, improve traffic flow, and enhance the overall passenger experience at Manchester Airport.”
By removing the existing barriers, drivers will pass through more smoothly without the need to stop as they exit, helping reduce congestion and improving traffic flow.
How will the new system work?
The new technology will be managed through an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system like that already in use at some other UK airports and familiar settings like bridges and tunnels.
Those using the Drop-off and Pick-up zones will need to pay remotely either online or by phone for their parking by midnight the next day to avoid an additional charge.
There will be no change to the existing charges.
An international line up at the terminal! A stunning view of aircraft preparing for their next journeys
- harrysaviation pic.twitter.com/zcMKv9L7wF
— Manchester Airport (@manairport) March 11, 2025
Frequent users, including taxi drivers, will be able to set up an auto-pay account for future visits.
When will the new barrierless system come into place at Manchester Airport?
Previously, the airport told customers the changed system would begin in late March and now they’ve been told an official start date.
The zones will become barrierless from Wednesday, March 26 with the change happening one terminal at a time.
There will be prominent signs in and around the forecourt areas to remind drivers of the new system once it is introduced.
Starting Wednesday 26 March 2025 we are introducing a new barrierless system at the Drop-off and Pick-up Zones, going live one terminal at a time.
What does this mean for you?
Drive straight through without stopping at barriers.
— Manchester Airport (@manairport) March 17, 2025
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Sue West, Manchester Airport’s Landside Operations Director, said: “Here at Manchester Airport we’re always looking for ways to make our passengers’ lives easier.
“By removing barriers in our drop-off and pick-up zones it will speed up the process and make it feel seamless.
“The barrierless system will be implemented across the various drop-off and pick-up areas around the airport in a phased approach over the last weeks of March and the start of April – exact dates will be communicated in the coming weeks.”
