The origins of Manchester Airport in England, UK, date back to the 1930s. Construction started on Ringway on 28 November 1935 and it opened partly in June 1937 and completely on 25 June 1938, in Ringway parish north of Wilmslow, from which it derived its original name Manchester (Ringway) Airport. Its north border was Yewtree Lane. Its southeast border was a little northwest of Altrincham Road (Styal). Local roads relevant to this account, on the map below: Yewtree Lane: the lane from the junction by Firtree Farm west to The Grange (east of the crossroads marked "Ringway"), and continuing northwest past Manor Farm to the next junction. Altrincham Road (Styal): the lane from Oversleyford running northeast then east into the Styal area.
In 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 were car parking and service buildings north of Yewtree Lane.
From 1958 to late 1962, Terminal 1 was built: this was the first of Ringway's modern large terminals and the first major public building north of Yewtree Lane.
In 1997, the second runway was planned and construction on it started, with protests about it intruding on woodland in the Styal area.
Local airfield history Manchester, England, has been served since 1911 by the following airfields: Trafford Park Aerodrome, in operation 1911–18, owned by a company. Now built-over. Alexandra Park Aerodrome, in operation 1918–24, built on land owned by the Egerton Estate between Didsbury and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Now playing fields and built-over. Woodford Aerodrome, owned by A.V.Roe in NE Cheshire, from 1924. Wythenshawe Aerodrome, the first municipally owned airport at Manchester, 1929–1930. Now built-over. City Airport Manchester originally and still known as Barton Aerodrome, from January 1930. Manchester Airport, formerly known as Ringway: described here.
Origins of Manchester Airport For history of Ringway before the airport started, see Ringway, Manchester. Mid 1934: Manchester Airport's present site was chosen to build an airfield, as Barton Aerodrome was considered unsuitable for larger aircraft. 25 July 1934: Manchester City Council voted narrowly in favour of the Ringway site as the city's new airport. The site for the planned airport was at the time in the Cheshire parish of Ringway (as it was south of the River Mersey). Its north border was Yewtree Lane. Its southeast border was a little northwest of Altrincham Road (Styal). 28 November 1935: Construction was ceremonially started by the Lord Mayor. 17 May 1937: The first aeroplane landed at Ringway, which was partly built and all grass: a de Havilland Hornet Moth G-ADND, flown by Duncan Menzies, a Fairey Aviation test pilot, was over where Wythenshawe is now and intended to land at Barton Aerodrome, but could not find Sale and the Manchester Ship Canal (landmarks on the way to Barton) because of fog, so he landed at another airfield (Ringway, then incomplete) which he saw.BBC TV channel 1 news 6.30 to 7.00 pm 17 May 2012; ; ; 8 June 1937: The first (westerly) part of the airfield, with an assembly hangar designed by the Manchester City Architect George Noel Hill, was officially opened for use by Fairey Aviation.Scholefield, 1998, p. 35 Early summer 1938: The airport was completed for civil aviation use. 25 June 1938: The airport and its terminal building were officially opened with a public air display that included civil and RAF aircraft and on 27 JuneScholefield, 1998, p. 10 handled its first scheduled flight, a KLM operated Douglas DC-2 to Amsterdam. The airport at this time was called Ringway, after the parish it was within. Pre-war, KLM was the only international operator out of Ringway and offered a request stop at Doncaster. The terminal building was the westernmost of the large buildings and incorporated the control tower, administration, restaurant, and hangar: it was later numbered Hangar 1. 1938: 4,000 passengers used the airport. January–August 1939: 4,000 passengers used the airport, before declaration of war brought an end to civil operations.
World War II
1939: Construction of the Royal Air Force station RAF Ringway began on the northeast edge of the airfield. It was used for operational flying and training. The main user was No.1 Parachute Training School RAF which trained over 60,000 paratroopers between June 1940 and March 1946. The trainees parachuted over Tatton Park, after receiving permission from the land owner, Lord Egerton. A complex of hangars and assembly sheds on the northwest side of the airfield was used by Fairey Aviation to build, modify and test over 4,000 aircraft. From spring 1939, Avro used the 1938-built main hangar (former passenger terminal) for assembly and testing the prototype Avro Manchester, Avro Lancaster and Avro Lincoln bombers. 1939: No. 613 (City of Manchester Squadron) had its home base at RAF Ringway. Late 1939: Fairey built two temporary south-side hangars (numbered 6 and 7) along Altrincham Road (Styal) to store completed Fairey Battle aircraft. 1939-1940: Two hangars were built in the northwest corner of the airfield for use by Fairey Aviation. They still exist, one used for aircraft maintenance and the other for ground operations. Winter 1940-1941: The advent of heavier aircraft types resulted in the all-grass landing area being badly damaged in wet weather. The ruts froze during cold weather, damaging the undercarriages of taxiing aircraft. June–December 1941: Two asphalt runways of length were therefore hastily laid down. The runways were designated 06/24 and 10/28. 1941 or earlier: The hangars were given their first numbering system. Late 1942: The temporary south-side hangars 6 and 7 were removed. 1942/1943: Three large permanent southside hangars (numbered 521, 522, 523) were built to Ministry of Aircraft Production designs and used for the assembly of Avro York military transport aircraft along the northwest side of Altrincham Road (Styal). (After the war they were used for various purposes including overhaul of Canadair Sabres by Airwork Ltd, by private pilot owners and a flying school. In the mid-1990s Runway 2 obliterated them.) January 1943: By then Runway 06/24 was lengthened to to accommodate the four-engined aircraft using RAF Ringway and the Runway 02/20 was constructed. Runways 02/20 and 10/28 ceased to be used by airliners by the mid-1950s, but 10/28 was used by light aircraft for another 30years. Both are permanently out of use. 1943: Another north-side hangar (later number 5) was built for the Parachute Training School for ground training. At some time after this, the hangars were renumbered.
In 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): Northside: along the south side of the east part of Yewtree Lane and of the west end of Ringway Road, from west to east: big, with white walls: Hangar 1/2, built in 1938; "MANCHESTER RINGWAY" on its flat roof: until WWII, and after the RAF left it until 1949, was the terminal building; the RAF held onto it for some time after WWII ended. big, black: Hangar 2/3: a Bellman hangar, built in mid-1939: in World War II used by Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA). north of #2/3: a roadside square of about 6 old buildings (Firtree Farm: see :File:Aa oldwythenshawe 00.jpg), reused as airfield buildings); sheds big, black: Hangar 3/4: a Bellman hangar, built early in World War II: in World War II used by Parachute Training School for ground training. north of #3/4: sheds. - - - All the above were swept away before Terminal 1 opened, to enable a new apron to be created and to enable its passenger piers to be built. Hangar -/5: a Bellman hangar, built early WW2 but after the first numbering, removed in 1954 to allow for a domestic apron extension. big, black: Hangar 4/6, erected in 1939-40 and used by No. 1 Parachute Training School RAF for ground training. big, black: Hangar 5/7, built in 1939-40 and used by No. 1 Parachute Training School RAF for aircraft maintenance. At northwest: Fairey Aviation's buildings. A hangar whose later number was 1. At southeast: 3 hangars (numbered 521, 522, 523) as described above.
After World War II: back to civilian use
After World War II the airport grew massively. 1946-1957: No. 613 Squadron RAF (City of Manchester Squadron) had its home base at RAF Ringway using Hangar No.7, and flew Supermarine Spitfires and De Havilland Vampire jet fighters in its fighter role as a unit within the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. The buildings at the western end of the complex, including the control tower, were returned to civilian use. Externally they were rendered and painted in art-deco style, to give a modern appearance. Internally a passenger terminal was fitted out, including a glass-walled observation restaurant facing the apron. As a public relations exercise, space was allocated within the lower tower as a club room for the Ringway Spotters Club. This branch of the Ian Allan-inspired hobby of aircraft spotting later changed its name to Society of Northern Aeronautical Enthusiasts, rapidly becoming known by its initials, SNAE. Members sported an enamel badge similar to the BOAC Bluebird but in red in place of blue. These spotters and the general public were catered for by a large viewing enclosure, adjacent to the western end of the building. They were provided with a more modest cafe, in the form of a large single-storey prefabricated building. Near this cafe, a small gate in the chain link fence, which kept the public off the apron, gave access to those wanting to take a pleasure flight. These were provided by Airviews Ltd. who operated an Auster monoplane, and two De Havilland biplanes, a Dragon Rapide and a Fox Moth. Five shillings (now 25p) bought you a flight around Wythenshawe. 27 March 1951: an Air Transport Charter Douglas Dakota 3 cargo aircraft en route for Nutts Corner Airport in Northern Ireland crashed shortly after takeoff, half a mile from the end of the runway at Ringway. Two crew members were killed. 1 April 1952: 24-hour operation was introduced. 28 October 1953: The first trans-Atlantic schedule commenced using Douglas DC-6Bs began, operated by Sabena Belgian World Airlines to New York's Idlewild Airport (now JFK Airport). 1954: The airport handled its millionth passenger since the Second World War. The hangar whose later number was 5, was removed, to allow a westerly extension of the main apron for domestic airline traffic. March 1957: 613 Squadron (and all other Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons) were disbanded. RAF Ringway was closed and its hangars and other buildings were handed over for civil airline operations including cargo and maintenance. 14 March 1957: British European Airways Flight 411 arriving from Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport crashed on approach to Ringway Airport and hit a house in Wythenshawe. All on board, 20 passengers and crew, were killed along with two people in the house.