Manchester Airport is the UK’s fourth busiest passenger airport and is located some 8.6 miles south of the city centre. It was opened in 1938 as Ringway Airport, later becoming the Manchester International Airport.
Now known as Manchester Airport it has two runways, three terminals and is supported by a comprehensive road network and railway station. Terminals 1 & 2 are joined by the Skylink travelator, with terminal 1 & 3 linked by a covered concourse. The Skylink is also connected to the railway station and the Radisson Blu Hotel.
The airport has a World Freight Terminal where carriers can make use of the 550,000 sq ft storage area, with chiller units and office space. There are also three airways that have maintenance hangers here.
The most popular destinations from Manchester Airport are Tenerife, Dubai, Dalaman, Dublin and Mallorca, all handling over 500,000 passengers per year.
Location
Manchester Airport is south of the city and still very much in a rural setting; it is reached by road from a dedicated exit on the M56 Motorway at junction 5. The Manchester Airport Railway Station is connected to Manchester Piccadilly, while there are also plans for a tramline to link the airport to the city centre, which is due to open in 2016.
Car Parking
There is a “No Waiting” restriction on all roads surrounding the Manchester Airport, but its three terminals all offer long and short stay options; there is also a shuttle service every 15 minutes and VIP Valet parking from which to choose.
Facilities
• Airport shopping, with a large range of designer and boutique stores as well as some well-known high street names.
• WiFi Hotspots with free 30-minute access.
• Lounge and bars, including the premium Escape Lounges and executive business and VIP lounges.
• Shower and change facilities in the directly connected hotel
• Multi Faith Prayer Rooms
• Aviation Viewing Park for aircraft spotting enthusiasts with its own café and shop.
Accommodation
The area between terminals 1 & 2 is known as the “Station”, for obvious reasons as the railway is located here and this is where the Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport is also situated. Linked by the covered Skylink travelator to the terminals the hotel represents the ideal place to stay before early morning flights or after landing late in the evening.
The hotel has 360 comfortable Nordic and Rural themed rooms, along with its own bars, restaurant and health spa facilities including a swimming pool. Guests can also avail themselves of the hotels long and short-term parking when staying at the hotel.
Flights
Flights from Manchester go to 190 destinations using 65 different tour operators, predominantly to European destinations. However, there are a number of scheduled carriers that travel to the United States and Canada, the Caribbean. India and Pakistan and Singapore. There are several flights to North Africa including Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya and Egypt and also the Middle East such as Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Europe is the most accessible destination from Manchester Airport with regular journeys possible to almost every country, with Germany, France and Italy having particularly good coverage.
Tags: Airport guide, Manchester, UK
