Did you know that Manchester Airport …..?

Few know that Manchester Airport formerly often called Ringway, is a major airport at Ringway in the City of Manchester within Greater Manchester. In 2011 it was third busiest airport in the United Kingdom in terms of passenger numbers, and the 23rd busiest airport in Europe.

A small part of the airport extends into Cheshire East. The terminals are south of Manchester city centre.It officially opened on 25 June 1938,and was initially known as Ringway Airport. During World War II it was called RAF Ringway, and from 1975 until 1986 it was called Manchester International Airport.

The airport has two parallel runways, three terminals, a goods terminal, and a ground transport interchange, including a railway station and is one of only 17 airports in the world with the highest 'Category 10' rating enabling the airport to handle larger 'Code F' aircraft, meaning from September 2010 the airport could handle the world's largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380. Historically the airport has also regularly handled Concordes.

Unlike with Heathrow and Gatwick, the rural settlement of Ringway that the airport was originally named after, still exists, as a few buildings around a church at the south edge of the airport.

Manchester also offers more destinations than some of the biggest airports in the US, including New York, Chicago and Dallas, although it is still slightly behind the three biggest 'hubs' in the global aviation network – Atlanta, Frankfurt am Main and Amsterdam – which each offer more than 250 destinations. However, Manchester serves more foreign destinations than Atlanta and Frankfurt (but not Amsterdam), although being much smaller in terms of total passengers handled.

Terminal 2 is due to receive a major extension, to encompass current remote stands to the west. A satellite terminal is also projected for Terminal 2. Between twelve and fifteen covered aircraft stands will be made available by this. An air side link for transferring passengers between Terminals 1 and 2 is at the planning stage, designed in an effort to boost Manchester's chances of becoming a major hub airport and minimize missed connections.

Despite public concerns about privacy and health risks, Manchester airport has introduced full-body X-ray scanners in all terminals. Under Department for Transport regulations these scans are now compulsory for all passengers who are selected to undergo the scan. Passengers who object to the scans will not be allowed to fly.

Manchester Airport has had public viewing areas since the airport opened to the public in 1938. The 1960/1970s pier-top viewing facilities have been closed because of security concerns. In 1992, an official "Aviation Viewing Park" (AVP) was created just off the A538 road on the south-western side of the airfield.

This attraction now draws around 250,000 visitors a year and is one of the North-West of England's top 10 attractions.