New report reveals economic potential of Manchester Airport

A new report has revealed the full economic potential of Manchester Airport in driving growth across the North should future governments put the right conditions in place.

Produced by Arup and published in March, it states that between now and 2050, the Northern gateway could secure direct flights to 50 new world-leading cities including Sydney, Tokyo, Montreal, Mumbai, Riyadh, San Francisco and Cape Town, driving passenger volumes to as high as 60 million a year. July 2024 will already see direct flights to Chinese financial hub Shanghai take off for the first time from Manchester Airport.

Those links would drive significant increases in exports, inward investment, tourism and cultural exchange for the North, growing Manchester Airport’s annual economic impact on the North to £16.3 billion and leading to support for more than 80,000 more jobs, doubling current levels of employment.

The report spells out the opportunity for government to create a “supportive policy environment” that enables both the Airport, and the Northern economy as a whole, to flourish. The centrepiece of that would be the delivery of a high-speed rail network that transforms journey times between the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool and Bradford and the airport and would more than triple the number of businesses in the region within 90 minutes of Manchester Airport.

Wider infrastructure improvements would build on MAG’s own £1.3 billion investment in the transformation of its facilities, which is helping unlock the potential of its existing two runways.

MAG CEO Ken O’Toole said:

“Manchester Airport is well-established as the UK’s global gateway in the North, connecting the region to an ever-increasing range of destinations such as Beijing, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, Houston, Toronto and across the Middle East.

“We know this connectivity delivers billions of pounds of economic value to the North by driving trade, investment and tourism and, spurred by our own £1.3bn investment in new terminal facilities and infrastructure the Airport, we will continue to grow and support growth across the region in the years to come.

“A key question for the next UK government is how to not only maximise the potential of Manchester Airport, but also ensure all parts of the North benefit to the fullest extent possible.

“Any government serious about rebalancing the country would want all major cities and towns to have fast and easy rail access to the world through their nearest international gateway – and here in the North that is Manchester Airport.

“That is why it is critical plans for a new east-west high-speed network, with the Airport at its heart, are delivered as soon as possible.

“This report spells out the size of the prize and we look forward to work with business and political partners in the North, as well as whoever goes on to lead the country, to ensure that vision becomes a reality.”

Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said:

“Manchester Airport serves as the gateway from the whole of the North of England to the rest of the world, supporting trade, tourism and investment.

“The government’s number one priority from its Network North commitments needs to be delivering the legislation for the link between the airport and Manchester Piccadilly, as part of an accelerated delivery programme for Northern Powerhouse Rail. Investment and jobs will flow in as soon as we have certainty on the route beyond to Yorkshire as well as to Liverpool, in the same way we have seen in other regions.

“As this report rightly says, this should be at the heart of our plan to transform the North’s connectivity if we are to drive productivity and growth.”