The following year, in 1988 Manchester celebrated its Golden jubilee. Terminal A, which now forms part of Terminal 3, was opened by Diana, Princess of Wales in 1989. In 1993, Terminal 2 was officially opened by the Duke of Edinburgh along with the official opening of Manchester Airport station.

The original Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport opened in 1993, making it roughly 33 years old as of 2026. However, that "age" is highly misleading because the terminal has recently undergone a massive £1.3 billion transformation project. The "New Terminal 2" (the extension) officially opened in July 2021, and the second phase—which involves the complete gutting and rebuilding of the original 1993 structure—is scheduled for completion in late 2025/early 2026. Essentially, if you fly through Terminal 2 today, you are experiencing a state-of-the-art facility that is technically less than five years old in terms of its infrastructure, security technology, and retail spaces. This transformation has doubled the terminal's capacity and made it the airport's primary hub, eventually leading to the retirement of the much older Terminal 1. So, while the "footprint" dates back to the early 90s, the terminal you see now is one of the most modern in the UK, featuring high ceilings, glass walls, and a vast "digital" departure lounge that feels worlds away from its original early-90s aesthetic.