Manchester Airport History

Manchester Airport is the largest airport in the north of England and the third largest airport in the UK.

Recent developments, such as the opening of the second runway have helped Manchester airport grow.

The Manchester area has been associated with aviation since as early as 1910, when Louis Paulhan landed his Farman biplane in a field near Burnage, claiming the £10,000 Daily Mail prize as the first man to fly from London to Manchester

Various short-lived aerodromes then sprang up in and around Manchester in order to handle increasing air traffic. Then, in 1919, Britain's first ever scheduled air service commenced from a private airfield in Manchester, flying to Birkdale Sands in Southport, then on to Blackpool. 

However, Manchester did not have a permanent airport until 1926 when city business leaders realised that unless Manchester had a permanent airport, the city would suffer commercially.

As a result of their efforts, the first Manchester Airport was built, leading to Manchester Airport as we know it today. 

1928 Barton, near Eccles, is chosen as the site of Manchester's new aerodrome. 

At the same time, Manchester City Council is keen to establish a municipal airport, so a temporary airfield is built in Wythenshawe.

1929 Wythenshawe Airport opens for business.

1930 Barton is completed, including a control tower and large hangar (both still standing today). The first scheduled service begins on the 16th June; Imperial Airways flies three times a week on the Croydon-Birmingham-Manchester-Liverpool route.

1934 Discussions open with KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) on a Holland-North of England service. Barton Aerodrome is considered unsuitable for larger aircraft and the necessary improvements would be prohibitively expensive, so land at Ringway, South of Manchester, is earmarked for a new airport.

1935 Building work at Ringway commences.

1938 With the approach of war, the Air Ministry approves the formation of No. 613 (City of Manchester) Auxiliary Air Force Squadron at Ringway Airport. Ringway Airport is officially opened on the 25th June, and operations commence two days later. In the first 14 months of operation, Ringway handles 7,600 passengers (less than a summer morning's work today!).
1939 On the 1st September, the last scheduled aeroplane flies before the commencement of war. 

During the Second World War the Airport is a hive of activity as an aeroplane manufacturing centre for Fairey Aviation and Avro. Runway and airport facilities are enhanced with three new runways and ten new hangars. The Airport also acts as a training centre for over 60,000 parachutists. 

1946 Normal passenger services resume with an Air France Dakota flight from Le Bourget to Manchester.

1951 The main runway is extended from 1,280 metres to 1,798 metres.

1952 The Airport commences 24-hour operations, and now handles 163,000 passengers annually.

1953 Sabena (Belgian Airlines) introduce the first scheduled service to New York. With a stop for refuelling, the crossing takes more than twelve hours.

1954 The Airport logs its millionth passenger since the Second World War.

1957 Manchester airport opens the new £2.7 million terminal. It is the first in Europe to incorporate the pier system, in which passengers remain under cover until ready to board the aircraft. Passenger throughput now stands at over a million per year. 

1969 The runway is extended to 2,745 metres, allowing aircraft to take off with a full payload and fly non-stop to Canada and the eastern seaboard of America.

1974 An inter-continental pier opens, capable of handling Boeing 747s. Unlike other piers, it features travellators, waiting lounges and air conditioning. For the first time, air bridges connect passengers direct to the aircraft.

1980 For the first time, passengers top more than half a million in one month.

1981 The runway is extended by 244 metres, so as to attract long haul operators to destinations throughout the world.

1982 HRH Princess Anne officially opens the runway extension, taking its total length to 3,048 metres.

1986 The World Freight Terminal opens. Manchester Airport PLC is formed, with its shareholders being the ten districts of Manchester.

1987 A throughput of one million passengers a month is achieved for the first time.

1988 Manchester Airport celebrates its Golden Jubilee.

1989 HRH the Princess of Wales opens the Domestic Terminal, which includes its own check-in and car park. It is capable of handling over two and a half million passengers a year.

1991 Manchester publishes its new 'Development Strategy for the year 2005', including plans for the 21st century Airport ? designed to handle 30 million passengers per annum by 2005. Proposals for the Airport's second runway are included in this document.

1993 Terminal 2 is opened by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, doubling Manchester Airport's terminal capacity to around 20 million passengers a year. The railway station is opened in May, providing direct links to many towns and cities in the north of England. Manchester Airport is acknowledged as being the largest sponsor of the arts in the North West, and is positioned within the top ten of national sponsors. Sir Gil Thompson, Chief Executive, retires after twelve years. Mr Geoff Muirhead takes up the appointment of Chief Executive. 

1995 The Public Inquiry into the proposal to build a new runway at Manchester Airport closes in March. The new British Airways maintenance hangar is completed at a cost of £27 million. Passenger throughout hits 15 million.

1996 The southern spur of the Airport's rail link opens, with its first service to Crewe. The first budget hotel, Holiday Inn Garden Court, is opened. The airport launches its environmental plan, encouraging employees to be environmentally aware.

1997 Approval for the building of the second runway is granted and work on building the second runway commences.

1998 Dedicated terminal is opened for British Airways and its franchise partners. Five-star Radisson SAS Hotel opens.

1999 Manchester Airport acquires a majority shareholding in Humberside International Airport.

2000 Work starts on the £60 million Integrated Public Transport Interchange and the government gives the go ahead for a £289 million Metrolink extension to the Airport.

2001 Manchester Airport completed the purchase of East Midlands and Bournemouth Airport to become the second largest airport operator in the UK.



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