Manchester Airport celebrates 85th birthday

Manchester Airport has kicked-off a series of celebrations to mark its 85^th birthday, after first opening as Ringway Airport on 25^th June 1938.

The northern hub announced a special programme of activity to ring in the milestone, including a prize draw with free flights to destinations all over the world, the reincarnation of one of its iconic chandeliers and an exhibition celebrating the history of Wythenshawe – and much more.

The first-ever flight from what was then known as Ringway Airport took off on 27^th June 1938, two days after it officially opened its doors on the 25^th, and Manchester Airport has since grown to become the UK’s global gateway in the North, employing tens of thousands of people and connecting the region to nearly 200 different destinations.

At the time the airport opened, King George VI was on the throne and Neville Chamberlain was Prime Minister. Preston North End narrowly missed out on winning the Football League while Manchester City were relegated – a stark contrast to their treble-winning exploits this year.

Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director of Manchester Airport, said:

“We are proud to celebrate 85 years of connecting this region to the world, and it is fantastic to be joined in marking this occasion by many of the airline partners who have helped Manchester Airport grow into the UK’s global gateway in the North.

“Manchester Airport is already the UK’s largest airport outside London but we are intent on improving the passenger experience. Our £1.3bn Transformation Programme is due to be completed in 2025 and will give us the platform to compete with other major European airports for routes to new destinations, which will, in turn, attract inward investment to the wider region.”

Activity planned to mark the airport’s 85^th birthday includes:

• the reincarnation of one of its iconic chandeliers, previously on display in Terminal 1, with the remodelled glassware set to take pride of place in the airport’s new-look Terminal 2 being developed as part of its £1.3 billion transformation.
• a prize draw with free flight tickets, Concorde champagne tours, Duy Free vouchers and complimentary lounge passes worth a combined £20,000.
• a special celebration as part of the airport’s sponsorship of Manchester Day, which will take place in the city centre on Saturday 29^th July and will include a pop-up holiday-themed interactive zone on Deansgate, with funfair-style games and entertainment.
• the donation of thousands of reusable water bottles to airport staff and passengers, to promote the reduction of plastic waste and the airport’s free water refill scheme.
• the staging of a pop-up Wythenshawe history exhibition in the Airport’s station this summer. Who Built Wythenshawe: The Forgotten Story of Ernest & Shena Simon and the Creation of Manchester’s Garden City traces the story of Wythenshawe, including a look at the airport’s history from RAF Ringway onwards, and how the airport and Wythenshawe have shaped one another.

One key birthday announcement was the return of one of the airport’s iconic Venetian chandeliers, which formed the centrepiece of Terminal 1’s departure hall for over four decades until their removal from Manchester Airport in 2003.

The airport has teamed-up with Manchester Metropolitan University for a project that will see one of the original pieces of glassware brought back to life. A series of designs will be created, with passengers being given the chance to vote on their favourite, which will then feature in Terminal 2’s redesigned departure hall, due to open in 2025.

Passengers and airport followers can also enter a huge competition for the chance to win free tickets to exotic destinations like Las Vegas, Dubai, Beijing, Paris and Toronto as part of a £20,000 prize draw giveaway. Eight airlines, including KLM, Emirates, Hainan Airlines and AirTransat have offered up prizes for the competition.

As part of its 85^th birthday celebrations, the airport is also looking to the future by producing thousands of reusable water bottles branded with its 85^th birthday logo, to be given away to passengers and staff. The scheme will promote the reduction of plastic waste and the airport’s free water refill scheme, with refill points available throughout its three terminals.

The airport is also reaffirming its commitment to neighbouring communities by relaunching its volunteering scheme, where colleagues can claim up to two days of company time per year to volunteer for a good cause of their choice. The scheme could see more than 45,000 hours of voluntary work carried out by MAG colleagues.

The airport’s operator MAG has also announced its official charity partners for Manchester Airport’s 85^th year:

• Magic Breakfast, which provides healthy breakfasts to children and young people in the UK who arrive at school too hungry to learn.
• The Children’s Society, which supports the most vulnerable children and young people facing serious life challenges.
• Medcare, which provides health and social care to thousands of children in Uganda suffering the effects of extreme poverty.

Manchester Airport will also be sponsoring Manchester Day on Saturday 29^th July, as the city centre carnival marks its return.