Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport (IATA: MAN, ICAO: EGCC), is an international airport at Ringway, Manchester, England. In 2011 it was third busiest airport in the United Kingdom in terms of passenger numbers, and the 23rd busiest airport in Europe. Manchester Airport is the largest outside the London region with over double the passengers of its nearest non-London rival, Edinburgh Airport. A Category 10 airport, the airport comprises three terminals, a goods terminal and is the only British airport other than London Heathrow to operate two runways over 3,000 m (9,843 ft) in length.

The terminals are 7.5 nautical miles (13.9 km; 8.6 mi) south west of Manchester city centre. It officially opened on 25 June 1938 and was initially known as Ringway Airport. During World War II, it was called RAF Ringway and from 1975 until 1986 Manchester International Airport. The airport is owned and managed by the Manchester Airports Group (MAG), a holding company owned by the ten metropolitan borough councils of Greater Manchester, with Manchester City Council owning the largest stake. The airport has numerous transport links and is served by the M56 motorway and by Manchester Airport railway station which provides extensive rail connections.

The airport regularly handled Concorde and currently houses the British Airways G-BOAC flagship Concorde at the Manchester Runway Visitor Park. Ringway, which the airport was named after, still exists as a few buildings and church at the southern edge of the airport. The airport currently handles 20 millions passengers annually and spare capacity exists for up to 50 million passengers annually. Vacant land exists for expansion, future developments include the £649,000,000 Manchester Airport City scheme aims to create logistics, manufacturing, office and hotel space adjacent to the airport and a new Metrolink tram line.