The Interesting History and Development of Manchester Airport

A look at how Manchester airport, with the revenues generated by car hire companies and retailers has led to development and expansion.

Manchester Airport is considered by many to be the primary Airport in the north of England. With Birmingham it is one of the two major airports that are not linked to London. As a major air destination it contains all of the hallmarks of the modern airport including car hire desks, shops and restaurants. It is similar to London's Heathrow in the respect that it has two operational runways, a fact that puts Manchester ahead of both Gatwick and Stansted. Additionally Manchester Airport has its own link to the national rail network and also has extensive road links meaning that if travelling by bus, hire car or train access is a breeze. But what is the history of this site? How has it reached its position of primacy in terms of northern airports?

Like the majority of the airports within the UK the life of Manchester began during the nineteen thirties due to a growth in air travel generally. In its first incarnation the site was named the Ringfield Aerodrome after a nearby parish. In the latter half of the thirties the first international flight was flown from Ringfield, this flight flew to Amsterdam. However the onset of the Second World War meant that civilian uses for the airfield were soon suspended.

Requisition of the site rapidly occurred. Whilst sorties were flown from Manchester the predominant role was as a maintenance, testing and training centre. The training role was extremely important to the war effort, the new parachute regiments spent a great deal of time at Ringfield perfecting operational drops; the work of these regiments was especially important when the Normandy landings were undertaken, allowing commanders to drop troops behind enemy lines. In addition to this training role, Manchester was also used as a testing facility for the British aircraft manufacturer Avro, subsequently planes such as the Lancaster were thoroughly tested at the site.

Civilian usage however recommenced after the war. The appeal of having a major airport outside of London was soon realised. After achieving around half a million passengers a year during the fifties companies soon realised the benefits of placing car hire desks, restaurants and other retail spaces within the terminal buildings. At this time the airport was under the plenary authority of the Manchester City Council, a group that later passed control of the site over to the Manchester Airport Group. At this time the runway was lengthened in order to accommodate the larger passenger aircraft coming into circulation. Additionally the seventies saw the changing of the site's name from Ringfield to Manchester International Airport.

The renaming saw a change in focus for the airport. Another terminal expansion with the usual services such as car hire desks, shops and restaurants occurred but the largest change was the commencement of transatlantic and transcontinental flights. Subsequently the greater range of destinations resulted in a new terminal being constructed and in the nineties the addition of a rail link truly brought the site into the modern era.

Manchester airport has evolved from a simple field in a parish near the city into one of the major elements in the UK's air transportation network. Its position as the primary airport outside of London is assured although Birmingham and Leeds Bradford are strong contenders. Today the MAG are benefitting from the revenue generated by car hire companies and retailers and are even considering buying another major UK airport. It is through expansion and a forward thinking attitude that this has been a possibility.