| Manchester airport is a major airport within | | | | meant expansion and growth to accommodate |
| the UK, its size and passenger numbers are | | | | large passenger numbers. Additionally, the |
| large and considered to be the largest | | | | jet age required extensions to the runways as |
| outside the London area. Naturally as with | | | | well as larger more efficient terminal |
| every major airport today Manchester is | | | | buildings. At this early stage airport bosses |
| filled with accompanying services such as car | | | | started to fill these terminals with shops, |
| hire desks, shops, cafes and restaurants. | | | | cafes and car hire desks as a means of |
| Like Heathrow Manchester has two operational | | | | earning extra profits through tenancy |
| runways, an advantage over airports like | | | | agreements. It was not until the seventies |
| Gatwick and Stansted. The site also has its | | | | that the site was renamed as Manchester |
| own railway station and extensive road links | | | | International Airport. |
| meaning that it is a major air transport hub | | | | |
| in the north of England. In the previous | | | | As the major airport outside of London |
| twelve months Manchester saw twenty two | | | | executives soon realised the opportunity to |
| million passengers fly in and out; the site | | | | begin long haul flights from the site. Long |
| is not owned by BAA but is instead owned by | | | | haul planes however meant yet another runway |
| the Manchester Airport Group, a group doing | | | | extension to accommodate large jets like the |
| well enough to consider buying Gatwick | | | | Boeing 747. This expansion yielded great |
| airport in the coming year. | | | | results. By the early nineties around ten |
| | | | million passengers were using the airport on |
| Like many of the airports in the UK | | | | an annual basis; clearly having a major |
| Manchester started operating during the | | | | airport outside of the London conurbation was |
| thirties as part of a growth in air travel | | | | a good idea. It was during these years that |
| more generally. Originally the site's | | | | another terminal was built with all of the |
| location in the parish of Ringway gave the | | | | auxiliary services like car hire desks, shops |
| airfield its name. The inaugural flight went | | | | and restaurants. Additionally it this period |
| to Amsterdam in 1938. The outbreak of war | | | | also saw the addition of a rail link to the |
| however meant that the site was soon | | | | national network and a second runway. The |
| requisitioned for military purposes. During | | | | second runway increased passenger numbers two |
| these years the airfield was used for flying | | | | fold in the next decade or so and is large |
| operational sorties but was predominantly | | | | enough today to accommodate the gargantuan |
| used as a testing and training centre. The | | | | Airbus A380, the largest passenger jet ever |
| British manufacturer Avro, makers of the | | | | built. |
| Lancaster, used the site to test their | | | | |
| bombers. In terms of training it is believed | | | | Manchester airport today is the largest and |
| that the site was the major training ground | | | | most commonly used outside of the three major |
| for the newly formed parachute regiments that | | | | London airports. It has developed from a |
| were so instrumental in the new form of | | | | small airfield named after a local parish to |
| warfare. | | | | a bona fide international gateway. With the |
| | | | facilities to accommodate the largest and |
| As with most airfields in the UK the ending | | | | most modern aircraft it will continue to be a |
| of war meant a return to civilian use. By the | | | | leader in the world of air travel. As a |
| late fifties Manchester was ferrying half a | | | | fundamental link in the transportation |
| million passengers annually. Such high usage | | | | network its future is somewhat assured. |