History of Manchester Airport

Manchester (UK) has been served since 1911 by the following airfields:

Area where Manchester Airport and Wythenshawe are now, as around 1925

Manchester Airport (earlier called Manchester (Ringway) Airport) started construction on 28 November 1935 and opened partly in June 1937 and completely on 25 June 1938, in Ringway parish north of Wilmslow. Its north border was Yewtree Lane. Its southeast border was a little northwest of Altrincham Road (Styal).

During World War II it was the location of RAF Ringway, and was important in the production and repair of military aircraft and training parachutists.

After World War II it gradually expanded to its present size, including massive expansion of aprons, runways and car parking areas. Among the first expansions was car parking and service buildings north of Yewtree Lane.

From 1958 to late 1962 Terminal 1 was being built: this is the first of the airport's modern large terminals and was the airport's first major public building north of Yewtree Lane.

In 1997 the second runway was planned and construction on it started, and caused much protest in the area about it intruding on woodland in the Styal area.

Beginnings

Ringway Airport terminal building and control tower (= hangar 1), and hangars 2 and 3 (in order from left) in September 1939 with a De Havilland Dragon Rapide of Great Western and Southern Airlines. Image taken from a little south of west. (After World War II they were renumbered 2,3,4.)

World War II

During World War II aircraft dispersal and work areas with hard standings were built outside the old airfield area: north of Yewtree Lane by Fairey's area, and southeast of Altrincham Road (Styal) by the three southeast hangars. These were linked to by "level crossings" across those two roads, which were closed to the public except to those with a local resident's pass from early 1940 to mid 1945. After the war these hard standings were removed and the land was returned to farming, and the two roads became public again.

Airfield buildings as at end of World War II

At the end of the war the airfield had these buildings (In the pairs of hangar numbers, the first number is the hangar's original number and the second is its later renumbering.):

See also RAF Ringway.

After World War II: back to civilian use

Pier B of the 1962 Terminal (now Terminal 1) in summer 1964 showing the angled parking then used and a Dan-Air Douglas Dakota, KLM Vickers Viscount and Dan-Air Airspeed Ambassador. The public viewing terrace on the pier is visible

After World War II the airport grew massively.

Start of the modern terminals

The widebody era and further expansion

This BOAC Boeing 747 was the first widebody airliner to arrive at the airport on 17 August 1970

Further growth

Railway station

Second runway

Aircraft stands at Terminal 3

Recent events

References

  1. "History of Manchester Airport UK". The Airport Guides. 2005. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
  2. Scholefield 1998, p. 9
  3. "River Mersey". Salecommunityweb.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  4. 1 2 BBC TV channel 1 news 6.30 to 7.00 pm 17 May 2012; ; ;
  5. Scholefield, 1998, p. 35
  6. Scholefield, 1998, p. 10
  7. Kidd, Alan (2006). Manchester – A History. Carnegie Publishing. p. 199. ISBN 1-85936-128-5.
  8. Scholefield 1998, pp. 10, 11, 16
  9. Scholefield 1998, p. 156
  10. Scholefield 1998, pp. 17–23
  11. 1 2 Scholefield 1998, pp. 49–51
  12. Scholefield 1998, pp. 35–37
  13. Scholefield 1998, pp. 17–18
  14. Scholefield 1998, pp. 88
  15. Scholefield, 1998, p. 156
  16. Scholefield 1998, p. 73
  17. Scholefield, 1998, p.93
  18. Manchester and Surrounding Area Landranger 109. Ordnance Survey. 1983.
  19. "Airports, Ports and Waterways". Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  20. "Live Search Maps". Microsoft.
  21. Scholefield, 1998, p. 94
  22. Scholefield 1998, p. 119
  23. "masterplan – jan – new" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  24. Scholefield, 1998, p. 133
  25. "Runway Designation". Retrieved 2007-11-04.
  26. "MA Appoints New Airfield General Manager". Manchester Airport. Retrieved 2007-10-16.
  27. "NATS online NOTAMs". Retrieved 2009-01-23.

Bibliography

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