To Manchester by air

Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport (IATA code MAN) is the largest British airport outside the London region, and lies 14km southwest of the centre of Manchester. A direct rail link makes it particularly convenient for central Manchester hotels, and it’s also easy to reach the Congress venue and halls of residence.

Manchester Airport is served by more than 60 airlines, flying to over 200 destinations. Direct services include

• Europe: numerous cities including Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Berne, Brussels, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Dubrovnik, Faro, Frankfurt, Gdansk, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Helsinki, Lisbon, Ljubljana, Lyon, Madrid, Munich, Naples, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Reykjavik, Riga, Sofia, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Turin, Valencia, Zurich.
• North America: Atlanta, Calgary, Chicago, JFK, Las Vegas, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Toronto, Vancouver.
• North Africa and the Middle East: Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Doha, Dubai, Tel Aviv.
• Asia: Islamabad, Lahore, Singapore (direct service with a stop in Munich).

Manchester Airport main website

Destination map (includes charter flights)

Complete destination list (includes charter flights)

Airport facilities

Those interested in the history of aviation may wish to know about the Runway Visitor Park, which offers guided tours (pre-booking required) of decommissioned Concorde and Nimrod aircraft.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport

Liverpool John Lennon (LPL) lies just under 50km to the west of Manchester. It is served by several budget airlines: if you are based in Europe and seeking a low-cost flight, it is worth checking whether Liverpool offers any useful alternatives (see Destination list). There is a convenient non-stop coach service (one coach per hour, 60-minute journey) which runs from the Airport to central Manchester.

London Heathrow Airport

London Heathrow (LHR) is one of the world’s largest international hubs, offering direct services to destinations around the globe. The onward connection to Manchester is covered by frequent services from numerous operators, with a typical flying time of 45 minutes.

An alternative to the connecting flight is to travel from Heathrow to Manchester by train. Depending on connection times, this may add as little as two hours to your journey; besides cutting emissions, it allows much more flexibility in your schedule, particularly if you wish to stop off in central London.

The simplest and cheapest route is to take the London Underground – Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to Green Park, then Victoria Line from Green Park to Euston (see map), approximately 60 minutes – then see this page for trains from Euston to Manchester.

The Heathrow Express offers a much faster (and more expensive) route into the city. Its terminus at Paddington is not convenient for northbound connections, but it may be useful if you have other business in London.