Manchester’s runway operational by summer 2001

Report by John Lavabre

MANCHESTER Airport’s second runway will be fully operational by summer 2001, it has been announced.

Construction work on the three-kilometre runway, which will generally be used for take-offs, has been completed and it is currently being tested so it can be awarded a license by the Civil Aviation Authority.

The runway has been ten years in the making and cost £172 million to build. Manchester airport chief executive Geoff Muirhead said: “This development is absolutely critical to our ability to handle more passengers in the years to come. It will assist airlines the world over in their route planning and open up further opportunities to provide convenient, frequent and efficient air services around the globe.”

The airport currently handles 18 million passengers a year but this number is expected to reach 40.7 million by 2015 with the opening of the new runway.