Manchester Airport History

Manchester Airport is the busiest airport outside London, with more than 18 million people passing through its gates every single year. By looking back in time through the history of Manchester Airport, we can gain a better understanding of how it became such a vital center of international travel.

Early days

Construction work on the airport was completed in 1938. Flights originally had to land and take off on grass runways, but as aircraft rapidly became larger and heavier, asphalt tracks were hastily laid down.

During the Second World War, the airport was used as a training base for the military.

Post-war years

Following the war Manchester Airport expanded dramatically. The first transatlantic flight took off from the airport in 1953, taking excited and awe-struck passengers to New York City.

In the 1970s, Manchester Airport was given the official title ‘Manchester International Airport’, to signify that it was now a hub for worldwide travel, and not only domestic flights.

The 1980s and 1990s

The airport continued to grow. In 1982, the main runway was extended to its current length of 100,000 feet, to attract long haul flights from international destinations.

A milestone was reached in 1997 when planning permission was granted for the construction of a second main runway. It opened in 2001 at a cost of £172 million, and was the first full-length commercial runway to open in the UK for 20 years.

Recent history

In order to develop the essential Manchester Airport Parking facilities, in 2009 and 2010 the Multi Storey Terminal 1 Car Parking was refurbished. Off airport car parks such as APH Manchester have also continued to grow and expand.

2010 also saw the announcement from Emirates that they would start a daily flight by an Airbus A380, the largest aircraft in the world, from Manchester Airport to Dubai. This would make Manchester Airport the first regional base in the world to host A380 services.

Manchester airport continues to be at the heart of not only travel in the north of England, but also travel in Britain as a whole.