Whilst Manchester Airport is perhaps the city's biggest laughing stock, with escalators, travelators, lifts and automatic doors that spend more time "under maintenance" than an ageing Hollywood actor - woe betide anybody who dares travel to the airport with heavy luggage - there is some good news around the corner.
As part of a £1 billion transformation, they have now unveiled a host of restaurants and bars for the new "Super Terminal" - which is slowly starting to reveal itself in the former Terminal 2.
Italian restaurant group and Manchester institution, San Carlo, have annouced that they will be opening a second branch of their San Carlo Cicchetti, which specialises in Venetian-style small plates.
The airport have concentrated on finding local firms to fill the spaces, with other Manchester chains in the new departure lounge including Archie's shakes and burger joint, Mexican eatery Barburrito, coffee shops Pot Kettle Black and Grindsmith, The Bridgewater Exchange microbrewery pub from Joseph Holt, The Amber Alehouse gastropub from Seven Bro7hers brewery, plus newcomers "luxury artisan bar and eatery" The Apiary, and healthy eating diner Daisy Nook.
There will also be a Wagamama, KFC, Indian burrito chain Wrapchic, M&S food outlets and Vit juice bar - all opening in 2020 - with eight more restaurants still to be announced and plans for a food hall with street food stalls.
As regular users of Manchester Airport ourselves - we fly at least once a week for our other website, BestBarsEurope.com - the transformation could not come quick enough and there is hope that Manchester can offer an airport every bit as good as the likes of Zurich, Copenhagen, Munich (with its minigolf), Helsinki (which has an art gallery) and Vienna (where you can even check your bags in for your flight at the city centre train station).
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We are hopeful that, like the best airports in Europe, Manchester's new terminal will have been designed by a regular traveller and not just a retail guru; boasting fast WiFi, plenty of recharging points, toilet doors that open outwards, and - dare we say it - working escalators that allow for baggage - after all, it is an airport!
