Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Manchester Airport shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Manchester Airport offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Manchester Airport at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Manchester Airport? Wrong! If the Manchester Airport is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Manchester Airport then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Manchester Airport? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Manchester Airport and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Manchester Airport wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Manchester Airport then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Manchester Airport site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Manchester Airport, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Manchester Airport, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.



{{Infobox Airport| name = Manchester Airport| nativename =| nativename-a =| nativename-r =| image =| image-width =| caption =| IATA = MAN| ICAO = EGCC| type = Public| owner-oper = Manchester Airports Group| location = [Manchester, UK/Grooved [Asphalt [Aeronautical Information Publication UK Aeronautical Information Service-->

Manchester Airport is a major airport in Manchester, UK. It opened to airline traffic in June 1938. It was initially known as Ringway Airport and during World War Two, as RAF Ringway. From 1975 until 1986, the title Manchester International Airport was used. It is located on the boundary between Cheshire and Manchester in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester.

It has two parallel runways, the second of which opened in 2001 at a cost of £172 million. The airport has three adjacent terminals and a Manchester Airport railway station. It is owned by the Manchester Airports Group (MAG) which is controlled by the ten metropolitan boroughs of Greater Manchester and is the largest UK-owned airport group.

Manchester Airport has a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P712) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers and for flying instruction.

Manchester Airport is the fourth busiest airport in the UK (after London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London Stansted). In total passengers handled, Manchester ranked 48th in the world in 2005, down from 45th in 2004. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=262428. Also, in 2006 Manchester had a recorded 234,835http://www.ukaccs.info/manchester/profile.htm aircraft movements, of which 213,100 were air transport movements (third highest in the UK) behind Heathrow and just under Gatwick.

Worldwide hub The airport provides regular direct flights to many destinations worldwide by 85 airlines. Major North American carriers from Manchester include American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines and US Airways of the USA, and Air Canada, Air Transat and Zoom Airlines from Canada. UK operators serving the USA market are Virgin Atlantic Airways, BMI (airline) and British Airways. Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Pakistan International Airlines, Air Blue, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Libyan Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Syrian Arab Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways serve the Asian market, whilst later this year Thomsonfly will start low-cost flights to Tel Aviv. Manchester is an international hub for BMI which offers several destinations from terminal 3. Charter airlines First Choice Airways, MyTravel Airways, Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomsonfly use Manchester as their primary operational base. The airport serves as a secondary hub for Flybe, Jet2.com, bmibaby, XL Airways, Monarch Airlines, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Pakistan International Airlines. Several other British airline carriers have a strong presence.

Manchester Airport now has flights to more destinations than any other UK airport, offering flights to 225 destinations, with more direct routes than Heathrow and Gatwick. Heathrow offers 180 destinations; all scheduled, whilst Gatwick has about 200, (although the two London airports handle considerably more flights and passengers than Manchester). Many of Manchester's overseas routes are served by charter flights to holiday destinations, some being seasonal.

Manchester also offers more destinations than some of the biggest airports in the US, including New York, Chicago and Dallas, although it is still slightly behind the three biggest `hubs' in the global aviation network - Atlanta, Frankfurt and Amsterdam - which each offer more than 250 destinations. However, Manchester serves more foreign destinations than Atlanta and Frankfurt (but not Amsterdam), although being much smaller in terms of total passengers handled.

Due to the large number of tour operators based at the airport, and charter destinations that are served, Manchester Airport was often labeled a 'bucket and spade airport', a term invented by the media. However, the proportion of scheduled passengers from Manchester has climbed from just 40% in the early 1990s to reach 63% during the last twelve months, making the label much less valid.

Passenger numbers

Manchester is the fourth busiest airport in the UK and the biggest outside of London, in terms of passengers per year. In the twelve months to December 2006, Manchester handled 22.12 million terminal passengers, a figure exceeded only by Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted in the UK (per United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority 2006 annual traffic statistics report, Table 2.2). Manchester's passengers remained static in 2006, increasing by 0.2%, compared with average growth rates of 3.0% in the UK and 6.4% in Europe as a whole. The first eight months of 2007 have seen a steady overall reduction in passengers, with the moving 12 months total to August of 21.92 million, dropping by 1.2% compared with the previous year (UK airports average for the same period - 1.6% increase). The airport has fierce competition from London Stansted for passenger numbers and London Gatwick for total aircraft movements. In 2006 Manchester Airport was the World's busiest airports by international passenger traffic, (16th in 2004), and ranked above some of the world's major aviation hubs, including Los Angeles International Airport (this is because many international passengers from Manchester fly only 3/ - a distance which would be 'inter-state' in the US)

The airport's latest long range plan, published mid 2006 and widely circulated to interested parties, forecasts at page 39 that passenger numbers will increase to circa 38 million passengers per annum by 2015, a fast average growth rate of 6.2% and reach 50 million by 2030. The airport authorities are examining measures to cope with this postulated increase, which so far has not materialised. Manchester Airport - Ongoing Developments

Runway changes On 7 June 2007, Manchester Airport's runway assignments were changed in relation to the Magnetic Compass bearings. The previous headings for the runways were 056° and 236° with assignments 06L/24R and 06R/24L respectively (23/4/07). The new headings for the runways are 054° and 234° with new assignments of 05L/23R and 05R/23L respectively. The signs located on taxiways and entrances to the runway were changed on the evening of the 6th June, 2007.http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/web.nsf/Content/Runwayredesignation

This ended 66 years of 24/06 operations, as the original tarmac runway, initially just long, was hastily and skimpily laid down in the latter half of 1941.

Security Manchester Airport is policed by the Greater Manchester Police. Several security related incidents have occurred at the airport in recent years. In particular:

Terminals and destinations Manchester Airport has three interconnected terminals, allowing passengers to move between all the terminals without going outside. Terminals 1 and 3 are located in the same building and are connected by various walkways/passages. Terminals 1 and 2 are linked by the Skyway, with Moving walkway to aid passengers with the long walk. The skywalk also connects the Manchester Airport railway station (where a few shops and services are located) and the Radisson Hotels.

Terminal 1 Terminal 1 handles international traffic and is served by many scheduled airlines and charter operators. It is also used as the base for MyTravel Airways and Thomas Cook Airlines; Monarch Airlines and Jet2.com also have a strong presence here. It has 24 stands, 18 of which have airbridges. Opened in 1962, the terminal has undergone many extensions and renovations since opening. There are currently 107 check-in desks in the terminal. The current passenger throughput is just over 9 million passengers per year. Terminal 1 is currently undergoing a major multi-million pound redevelopment. The first phase of the project is to expand and relocate the security search area. Following this, most of the current landside retail outlets will be scaled down, resulting in the creation of one of the UK's largest airside shopping facilities. The £40 million project is due to be completed by Summer 2008.

*Eurowings (Dusseldorf)

Terminal 2 Terminal 2 is mostly used by long haul and charter traffic. It opened in 1993 and is the airport's other major international terminal, handling many scheduled and international flights. Some European scheduled airlines such as Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Air Malta operate flights out of the terminal. Charter Airlines First Choice Airways, XL Airways and Thomsonfly use the terminal as a base, whilst Pakistan International Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways have a strong presence too. It has 15 gates, of which 14 have airbridges. There are currently 69 check-in desks, with plans to add more in future modifications of the terminal. Terminal 2 is planned to be capable of being extensively modified so it can eventually accommodate significantly more passengers than the current throughput of 7.8 million. This is a future project to be carried out within the next few years.



Terminal 3 Terminal 3, for a short period known as Terminal 1 - British Airways, was opened by Diana, Princess of Wales in May 1989 .British Airways had decided Manchester should be one of the Airline hub for their BA Connect service, now discontinued. The terminal is primarily used by Flybe, British Airways, American Airlines, BMI, bmibaby and domestic traffic. There are currently 46 check-in desks in Terminal 3. It has 18 gates, 14 of which have airbridges. Terminal 3 is currently working to expand capacity from its current throughput of 5.0 million passengers per year.



Future airlines

World Freight Terminal Boeing 747-400F cargo plane at Manchester Airport

During 2006, 150,300 tonnes of cargo and mail were handled at Manchester, an increase of 0.4% over the previous year (per United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority annual statistics table 2.2). November 2006 saw a new record set at Manchester, with it handling 14,546 tonnes of cargo in the month. This beat the previous best set in October 2004. By 2015 the total figure for cargo handled is expected to be around 250,000 tonnes per year. Manchester's two biggest cargo markets are the Far East and North America. The Far East is predominantly a source of import cargo for the airport and North America is a key destination for exports. The main cargo destination from Manchester is Hong Kong, with Cathay Pacific making a total of 12 freighter round trips every week. On August 28th 2007, FedEx Express announced the start of a direct freighter service from Manchester to the United States. McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft are used on the non-stop service to Memphis International Airport which is flown four times per week, from Monday through Thursday. On September 4th, Aeroflot inaugurated a direct cargo flight between Russia and the United Kingdom, the first of its kind. A DC-10 freighter is used on the once a week service, which is flown on Tuesdays, although the airline has stated that it intends to increase this to daily scheduled service as soon as possible. The airport currently handles an average of 6 Boeing 747 freighter flights daily. Cargo Airlines that serve Manchester are:

Ground transportation arriving at Manchester Airport railway stationThe airport is approximately a 20 minute drive from Manchester City Centre and is reached by the M56 motorway, with a dedicated spur route from the motorway at junction 5. The M56 is the main route used by traffic to reach the airport. There are also minor local roads serving the airport from the north (Wythenshawe) and the east (Heald Green). The A538 road serves the World Freight Terminal, to the south of the airport, and also connects to the M56 motorway at junction 6. It runs east-west serving the local towns of Altrincham and Wilmslow.

Taxi ranks are situated by arrivals at all three terminals. Passengers driving to the airport can use the drop-off areas outside the terminal buildings, but when picking up passengers the airport requires that you park in the short stay car parks provided for a fee.Long stay car parks are situated both on and off site.

Manchester Airport railway station, forming part of The Station, is located between Terminals 1 and 2. It is linked to the terminals using a Skylink moving walkway. Trains are operated either by Northern Rail or TransPennine Express and connect the airport to Manchester Piccadilly Station and other railways stations throughout northern England. Construction is now underway on building a third platform at the airport railway station, due to an increase in passenger numbers using the facility. The £15 million project will also meet the extra future demand for rail services to and from the airport and is expected to be completed by December 2008.

The Station also incorporates a bus station (see GMPTE map) with buses to many towns within Greater Manchester as well as the 24 hour bus Skyline Service 43 to the City Centre at least every 30 minutes. National Express coaches link to places further afield.

There are also plans in place to build a Manchester Metrolink light rail extension to the airport from Manchester Piccadilly.

Criticism Between 1997 and 1999 three protest camps were set up to oppose the building of the second runway, the felling of nearby trees on land owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty in Styal, Cheshire and air transportation in general. Three different camps were set up Flywood, Arthur's Woodhttp://members.aol.com/pp3office/arthpr.htm and Cedar's Wood. Swampy, a well known activist, was among many protesters.http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/travel/runway2_history.shtml

Manchester Airport's second runway was built on around of greenbelt land. Four Grade II listed buildings were taken down piece by piece and were re-constructed nearby, and over £20m was spent on environmental restoration and protection. Nonetheless, there is criticism that existing natural habitats were destroyed.

The SW end of the new runway is closer to the town of Knutsford and to the village of Mobberley. There has been an increase in noise experienced by local residents from the aircraft being lower and closer.

In 2007 Manchester Airport wanted to build on further green belt land in Styal in order to increase its car parking. However, Macclesfield Borough Council refused to give them planning permission to do so and expressed annoyance at the Airport for not investing enough in public transport. http://www.thewilmslowexpress.co.uk/news/s/230/230055_victory_for_green_belt_campaigners_as_airports_plan_for_styal_is_rejected.html(Currently the town of Knutsford and village of Mobberley, directly under the flight path of planes, have no direct transport links to the airport.)

Incidents and accidents









Public attractions Manchester Airport has created several public viewing areas since the airport opened to the public in 1938. The 1960/70s pier-top facilities have been closed because of security concerns. In May 1997, an official "Aviation Viewing Park" was created, just off the A538 road on the western edge of the airfield. This provides the best viewing facilities for aircraft spotting at any major UK airport. Visitors can view aircraft taking off and landing from both runways, as well as aircraft taxi-ing to and from the runways.

On display is G-BOAC, a retired British Airways Concorde, once the flagship of the airline's seven-strong Concorde fleet, with access to its interior being by prior booking. The last airliner to be built in the UK, BAE Systems Avro RJX G-IRJX is also on view. The forward fuselage of Monarch Airlines Douglas DC-10 G-DMCA is on static display, which can be boarded by prior arrangement only. One of only two preserved Hawker Siddeley Trident 3B aircraft in the world, G-AWZK in full BEA livery, is open every weekend from April to October and is accessible with a pre paid ticket from the ticket office opposite the aviation shop.

Good views of the runways can be obtained from the 'AVP', especially between 12:00 and 15:00 when runway 23R/05L is used for both landings and departures, this being closest to the viewing area itself. The park also features a cafe, and an aviation shop selling related items such as airband scanners, aircraft models books and stationery, and Concorde merchandise. on display at the Aviation Viewing Park

The roof of the short-stay car park at Terminal 1 features another official viewing area, which has been a spotters' location for the last 32 years. As part of a recent refurbishment, the café and aviation shop which were once part of the viewing area have now been closed, with the aviation shop moving to the Terminal 1 arrivals area.

See also

Bibliography

References

External links



{{Infobox Airport| name = Manchester Airport| nativename =| nativename-a =| nativename-r =| image =| image-width =| caption =| IATA = MAN| ICAO = EGCC| type = Public| owner-oper = Manchester Airports Group| location = [Manchester, UK/Grooved [Asphalt [Aeronautical Information Publication UK Aeronautical Information Service-->

Manchester Airport is a major airport in Manchester, UK. It opened to airline traffic in June 1938. It was initially known as Ringway Airport and during World War Two, as RAF Ringway. From 1975 until 1986, the title Manchester International Airport was used. It is located on the boundary between Cheshire and Manchester in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester.

It has two parallel runways, the second of which opened in 2001 at a cost of £172 million. The airport has three adjacent terminals and a Manchester Airport railway station. It is owned by the Manchester Airports Group (MAG) which is controlled by the ten metropolitan boroughs of Greater Manchester and is the largest UK-owned airport group.

Manchester Airport has a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P712) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers and for flying instruction.

Manchester Airport is the fourth busiest airport in the UK (after London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London Stansted). In total passengers handled, Manchester ranked 48th in the world in 2005, down from 45th in 2004. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=262428. Also, in 2006 Manchester had a recorded 234,835http://www.ukaccs.info/manchester/profile.htm aircraft movements, of which 213,100 were air transport movements (third highest in the UK) behind Heathrow and just under Gatwick.

Worldwide hub The airport provides regular direct flights to many destinations worldwide by 85 airlines. Major North American carriers from Manchester include American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines and US Airways of the USA, and Air Canada, Air Transat and Zoom Airlines from Canada. UK operators serving the USA market are Virgin Atlantic Airways, BMI (airline) and British Airways. Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Pakistan International Airlines, Air Blue, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Libyan Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Syrian Arab Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways serve the Asian market, whilst later this year Thomsonfly will start low-cost flights to Tel Aviv. Manchester is an international hub for BMI which offers several destinations from terminal 3. Charter airlines First Choice Airways, MyTravel Airways, Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomsonfly use Manchester as their primary operational base. The airport serves as a secondary hub for Flybe, Jet2.com, bmibaby, XL Airways, Monarch Airlines, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Pakistan International Airlines. Several other British airline carriers have a strong presence.

Manchester Airport now has flights to more destinations than any other UK airport, offering flights to 225 destinations, with more direct routes than Heathrow and Gatwick. Heathrow offers 180 destinations; all scheduled, whilst Gatwick has about 200, (although the two London airports handle considerably more flights and passengers than Manchester). Many of Manchester's overseas routes are served by charter flights to holiday destinations, some being seasonal.

Manchester also offers more destinations than some of the biggest airports in the US, including New York, Chicago and Dallas, although it is still slightly behind the three biggest `hubs' in the global aviation network - Atlanta, Frankfurt and Amsterdam - which each offer more than 250 destinations. However, Manchester serves more foreign destinations than Atlanta and Frankfurt (but not Amsterdam), although being much smaller in terms of total passengers handled.

Due to the large number of tour operators based at the airport, and charter destinations that are served, Manchester Airport was often labeled a 'bucket and spade airport', a term invented by the media. However, the proportion of scheduled passengers from Manchester has climbed from just 40% in the early 1990s to reach 63% during the last twelve months, making the label much less valid.

Passenger numbers

Manchester is the fourth busiest airport in the UK and the biggest outside of London, in terms of passengers per year. In the twelve months to December 2006, Manchester handled 22.12 million terminal passengers, a figure exceeded only by Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted in the UK (per United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority 2006 annual traffic statistics report, Table 2.2). Manchester's passengers remained static in 2006, increasing by 0.2%, compared with average growth rates of 3.0% in the UK and 6.4% in Europe as a whole. The first eight months of 2007 have seen a steady overall reduction in passengers, with the moving 12 months total to August of 21.92 million, dropping by 1.2% compared with the previous year (UK airports average for the same period - 1.6% increase). The airport has fierce competition from London Stansted for passenger numbers and London Gatwick for total aircraft movements. In 2006 Manchester Airport was the World's busiest airports by international passenger traffic, (16th in 2004), and ranked above some of the world's major aviation hubs, including Los Angeles International Airport (this is because many international passengers from Manchester fly only 3/ - a distance which would be 'inter-state' in the US)

The airport's latest long range plan, published mid 2006 and widely circulated to interested parties, forecasts at page 39 that passenger numbers will increase to circa 38 million passengers per annum by 2015, a fast average growth rate of 6.2% and reach 50 million by 2030. The airport authorities are examining measures to cope with this postulated increase, which so far has not materialised. Manchester Airport - Ongoing Developments

Runway changes On 7 June 2007, Manchester Airport's runway assignments were changed in relation to the Magnetic Compass bearings. The previous headings for the runways were 056° and 236° with assignments 06L/24R and 06R/24L respectively (23/4/07). The new headings for the runways are 054° and 234° with new assignments of 05L/23R and 05R/23L respectively. The signs located on taxiways and entrances to the runway were changed on the evening of the 6th June, 2007.http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/web.nsf/Content/Runwayredesignation

This ended 66 years of 24/06 operations, as the original tarmac runway, initially just long, was hastily and skimpily laid down in the latter half of 1941.

Security Manchester Airport is policed by the Greater Manchester Police. Several security related incidents have occurred at the airport in recent years. In particular:

Terminals and destinations Manchester Airport has three interconnected terminals, allowing passengers to move between all the terminals without going outside. Terminals 1 and 3 are located in the same building and are connected by various walkways/passages. Terminals 1 and 2 are linked by the Skyway, with Moving walkway to aid passengers with the long walk. The skywalk also connects the Manchester Airport railway station (where a few shops and services are located) and the Radisson Hotels.

Terminal 1 Terminal 1 handles international traffic and is served by many scheduled airlines and charter operators. It is also used as the base for MyTravel Airways and Thomas Cook Airlines; Monarch Airlines and Jet2.com also have a strong presence here. It has 24 stands, 18 of which have airbridges. Opened in 1962, the terminal has undergone many extensions and renovations since opening. There are currently 107 check-in desks in the terminal. The current passenger throughput is just over 9 million passengers per year. Terminal 1 is currently undergoing a major multi-million pound redevelopment. The first phase of the project is to expand and relocate the security search area. Following this, most of the current landside retail outlets will be scaled down, resulting in the creation of one of the UK's largest airside shopping facilities. The £40 million project is due to be completed by Summer 2008.

*Eurowings (Dusseldorf)

Terminal 2 Terminal 2 is mostly used by long haul and charter traffic. It opened in 1993 and is the airport's other major international terminal, handling many scheduled and international flights. Some European scheduled airlines such as Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Air Malta operate flights out of the terminal. Charter Airlines First Choice Airways, XL Airways and Thomsonfly use the terminal as a base, whilst Pakistan International Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways have a strong presence too. It has 15 gates, of which 14 have airbridges. There are currently 69 check-in desks, with plans to add more in future modifications of the terminal. Terminal 2 is planned to be capable of being extensively modified so it can eventually accommodate significantly more passengers than the current throughput of 7.8 million. This is a future project to be carried out within the next few years.



Terminal 3 Terminal 3, for a short period known as Terminal 1 - British Airways, was opened by Diana, Princess of Wales in May 1989 .British Airways had decided Manchester should be one of the Airline hub for their BA Connect service, now discontinued. The terminal is primarily used by Flybe, British Airways, American Airlines, BMI, bmibaby and domestic traffic. There are currently 46 check-in desks in Terminal 3. It has 18 gates, 14 of which have airbridges. Terminal 3 is currently working to expand capacity from its current throughput of 5.0 million passengers per year.



Future airlines

World Freight Terminal Boeing 747-400F cargo plane at Manchester Airport

During 2006, 150,300 tonnes of cargo and mail were handled at Manchester, an increase of 0.4% over the previous year (per United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority annual statistics table 2.2). November 2006 saw a new record set at Manchester, with it handling 14,546 tonnes of cargo in the month. This beat the previous best set in October 2004. By 2015 the total figure for cargo handled is expected to be around 250,000 tonnes per year. Manchester's two biggest cargo markets are the Far East and North America. The Far East is predominantly a source of import cargo for the airport and North America is a key destination for exports. The main cargo destination from Manchester is Hong Kong, with Cathay Pacific making a total of 12 freighter round trips every week. On August 28th 2007, FedEx Express announced the start of a direct freighter service from Manchester to the United States. McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft are used on the non-stop service to Memphis International Airport which is flown four times per week, from Monday through Thursday. On September 4th, Aeroflot inaugurated a direct cargo flight between Russia and the United Kingdom, the first of its kind. A DC-10 freighter is used on the once a week service, which is flown on Tuesdays, although the airline has stated that it intends to increase this to daily scheduled service as soon as possible. The airport currently handles an average of 6 Boeing 747 freighter flights daily. Cargo Airlines that serve Manchester are:

Ground transportation arriving at Manchester Airport railway stationThe airport is approximately a 20 minute drive from Manchester City Centre and is reached by the M56 motorway, with a dedicated spur route from the motorway at junction 5. The M56 is the main route used by traffic to reach the airport. There are also minor local roads serving the airport from the north (Wythenshawe) and the east (Heald Green). The A538 road serves the World Freight Terminal, to the south of the airport, and also connects to the M56 motorway at junction 6. It runs east-west serving the local towns of Altrincham and Wilmslow.

Taxi ranks are situated by arrivals at all three terminals. Passengers driving to the airport can use the drop-off areas outside the terminal buildings, but when picking up passengers the airport requires that you park in the short stay car parks provided for a fee.Long stay car parks are situated both on and off site.

Manchester Airport railway station, forming part of The Station, is located between Terminals 1 and 2. It is linked to the terminals using a Skylink moving walkway. Trains are operated either by Northern Rail or TransPennine Express and connect the airport to Manchester Piccadilly Station and other railways stations throughout northern England. Construction is now underway on building a third platform at the airport railway station, due to an increase in passenger numbers using the facility. The £15 million project will also meet the extra future demand for rail services to and from the airport and is expected to be completed by December 2008.

The Station also incorporates a bus station (see GMPTE map) with buses to many towns within Greater Manchester as well as the 24 hour bus Skyline Service 43 to the City Centre at least every 30 minutes. National Express coaches link to places further afield.

There are also plans in place to build a Manchester Metrolink light rail extension to the airport from Manchester Piccadilly.

Criticism Between 1997 and 1999 three protest camps were set up to oppose the building of the second runway, the felling of nearby trees on land owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty in Styal, Cheshire and air transportation in general. Three different camps were set up Flywood, Arthur's Woodhttp://members.aol.com/pp3office/arthpr.htm and Cedar's Wood. Swampy, a well known activist, was among many protesters.http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/travel/runway2_history.shtml

Manchester Airport's second runway was built on around of greenbelt land. Four Grade II listed buildings were taken down piece by piece and were re-constructed nearby, and over £20m was spent on environmental restoration and protection. Nonetheless, there is criticism that existing natural habitats were destroyed.

The SW end of the new runway is closer to the town of Knutsford and to the village of Mobberley. There has been an increase in noise experienced by local residents from the aircraft being lower and closer.

In 2007 Manchester Airport wanted to build on further green belt land in Styal in order to increase its car parking. However, Macclesfield Borough Council refused to give them planning permission to do so and expressed annoyance at the Airport for not investing enough in public transport. http://www.thewilmslowexpress.co.uk/news/s/230/230055_victory_for_green_belt_campaigners_as_airports_plan_for_styal_is_rejected.html(Currently the town of Knutsford and village of Mobberley, directly under the flight path of planes, have no direct transport links to the airport.)

Incidents and accidents









Public attractions Manchester Airport has created several public viewing areas since the airport opened to the public in 1938. The 1960/70s pier-top facilities have been closed because of security concerns. In May 1997, an official "Aviation Viewing Park" was created, just off the A538 road on the western edge of the airfield. This provides the best viewing facilities for aircraft spotting at any major UK airport. Visitors can view aircraft taking off and landing from both runways, as well as aircraft taxi-ing to and from the runways.

On display is G-BOAC, a retired British Airways Concorde, once the flagship of the airline's seven-strong Concorde fleet, with access to its interior being by prior booking. The last airliner to be built in the UK, BAE Systems Avro RJX G-IRJX is also on view. The forward fuselage of Monarch Airlines Douglas DC-10 G-DMCA is on static display, which can be boarded by prior arrangement only. One of only two preserved Hawker Siddeley Trident 3B aircraft in the world, G-AWZK in full BEA livery, is open every weekend from April to October and is accessible with a pre paid ticket from the ticket office opposite the aviation shop.

Good views of the runways can be obtained from the 'AVP', especially between 12:00 and 15:00 when runway 23R/05L is used for both landings and departures, this being closest to the viewing area itself. The park also features a cafe, and an aviation shop selling related items such as airband scanners, aircraft models books and stationery, and Concorde merchandise. on display at the Aviation Viewing Park

The roof of the short-stay car park at Terminal 1 features another official viewing area, which has been a spotters' location for the last 32 years. As part of a recent refurbishment, the café and aviation shop which were once part of the viewing area have now been closed, with the aviation shop moving to the Terminal 1 arrivals area.

See also

Bibliography

References

External links



Manchester Airport : Official website for live flight information ...
Destinations. Where we fly to; Book flights/holidays; Summer 2008 Timetable

Manchester Airport S Web Site

Manchester Airport Guide - Manchester Airport, UK
Resource providing facts and information on the airport's history, terminal facilities, contacts numbers and transport options, as well a local area directory.

Transport to and from Manchester Airport - Rail, Coach and Bus ...
Rail, Coach and Bus Manchester Airport by Train. Manchester Airport railway station is in the heart of the airport complex with Skylinks connecting the three terminals to the upper ...

Manchester Airport Jobs
Register your details and your chosen job profiles. When a position becomes available then you''ll receive and email with the position details

National Rail Enquiries - Station Facilities for Manchester Airport
The gateway to Britain's National Rail network. A portal into UK rail travel including train company information and promotions; train times; fares enquiries; ticket purchase and ...

Internal Manchester Airport Jobs
Register your details and your chosen job profiles. When a position becomes available then you''ll receive and email with the position details

Manchester airport information - flight arrivals and departures
Manchester airport information, live flight checker, contact details, on line check in - click here for this and more

Manchester Airport : Car Rental with Europcar
Car hire at Manchester Airport in partnership with Europcar UK, worldwide car rentals for business and leisure. ... Car Rental. Europcar and Manchester Airport have teamed up to ...

Manchester Airport Parking from Airport-Parking.co.uk
Prices from #2.75 per day for airport car parking at Manchester airport. Great secured car parks for both long and short travel options.

 

Manchester Airport



 
Copyright © 2008 Hintcenter.com - All rights reserved.
Home | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
All Trademarks belong to their repective owners. Many aspects of this page are used under
commercial commons license from Yahoo!