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Manchester Airport History |
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Today, Manchester Airport is one of Britain's, and the world's principal airports, handling millions of passengers each year, connecting the North of England with global destinations. Still growing, Manchester Airport has an exciting and promising future, but it has an equally illustrious past, which began in 1928. Prior to that date, Manchester had seen plenty of air activity, starting in 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 sprang up in and around Manchester thereafter, in order to handle increasing air traffic, and 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 South Shore, Blackpool. However, Manchester still had no permanent airport but in 1926, some far- seeing city fathers realised that unless Manchester had a permanent airport, the city would suffer commercially. They agitated for the establishment of a more permanent airport, and 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. The squadron becomes a regular unit of the RAF later in the year. 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 (a summer morning's work today!). 1939 On the 1st September, the last scheduled aeroplane flies before the commencement of war. It is a Western Airways Rapide, bound for Weston-Super-Mare, carrying one passenger. The Second World War The Airport is a hive of activity as an aeroplane manufacturing centre (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. 1947 Ringway's throughput triples to more than 34,000 passengers a year. 1949 Extended terminal facilities open in the converted wartime building. 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. 1955 The first inclusive tour flight operates to Ostend. 1962 HRH the Duke of Edinburgh 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. 1978 15 scheduled airlines operate flights to 37 destinations in the UK, Europe and North America. Over a hundred companies operate at the Airport, employing more than 5,000 people. 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. 1990 The airport crèche, 'Little Flyers' opens to provide childcare for the children of Manchester Airport staff. Launch of the Airport's 'Towards a better Environment' programme, aimed at minimising the impact of the Airport on the surrounding community. 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. 1992 The Aviation Viewing Park is opened. Ringway Handling Services is formed, to provide a full baggage and freight-handling service. 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. The 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 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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