About the Airport
When Manchester Airport was first fully opened in 1938 it was known as Ringway Airport, named after the local village of Ringway. During World War II it was used as a large-scale RAF base, although shortly after was transformed back into a commercial airport. Just 7.5 miles south west of the city centre, it has grown to now have three separate terminals, each of which is connected to at least one another by their “skylink” systems along with various Manchester airport parking options.
Manchester Airport is one of the largest in the UK, and specifically the largest outside of the London area – it has double the amount of passengers each year than Edinburgh. It flies to 225 worldwide destinations, which is in fact more than any other airport in the UK, including Heathrow and Stansted – it only pales in comparison to large European airports such as Amsterdam’s Schipol.
The airport is comprised of three terminals as well as a goods terminal, and is the only airport in the UK other than Heathrow to have two runways longer than 2999 metres. It also has the second tallest control tower after Heathrow.
The airport is easily accessible from many places in the UK, with the aim that it is less than two hours away by car from one third of the UK population. It can be reached easily via the M56 motorway or just a twenty minute drive from Manchester City Centre, although it also has a dedicated Metrolink tramline connecting it to Cornbrook station. There is also a Manchester Airport railway station located between Terminals 1 & 2, with trains direct to Manchester Piccadilly Station and other northern stations.