Manchester Airport is a major airport in Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside London. Officially opened on 25 June 1938, it was initially known as Ringway Airport. During World War II it officially became RAF Ringway, and from 1975 until 1986 the title Manchester International Airport was used. This year Manchester Airport is celebrating its 70th anniversary. The airport complex is almost entirely located within the city of Manchester boundaries—the exception being the second runway, which lies mostly in neighbouring Cheshire—8.8 miles (14 km) south by west of Manchester City Centre.
The airport is owned and managed by the Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which is a holding company owned by the ten metropolitan borough councils of Greater Manchester, and is the largest British-owned airport group. Each of these councils has their coat of arms displayed on banners hung from the lamp posts approaching the airport. The airport has won numerous awards including World's Best Airport 1995 and Travel Weekly Globe Awards' UK Best Airport 2008.
The airport has two parallel runways, three terminals, a railway station and bus interchange. Manchester Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P712) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers and for flying instruction. In 2007, Manchester Airport handled 22,112,625 passengers with 222,703 aircraft movements, making it the fourth busiest airport in the United Kingdom in passenger numbers and third in terms of total aircraft movements.