Manchester Airport
It’s one of the largest airports in the UK, connecting nearly 30 million people a year from all corners of the North to hundreds of destinations around the world - but it’s so much more than an airport.
Join broadcaster Tom Fordyce, as he goes behind the scenes at Manchester Airport.
In this one-off live episode, Hywel Evans is joined by five women working across the aviation industry. Together they explore the wide range of careers available in aviation and share their best advice on taking that all-important first step. We also hear from an audience of enthusiastic students who are preparing to begin their own journeys into the industry.
Ever wondered what’s right beneath your seat when you’re on a plane? There’s more than just suitcases… In this episode, we go airside to follow an Etihad aircraft turnaround, then head inside Swissport's cargo centre to discover how air cargo keeps Christmas moving - from festive food to last-minute online gifts.
Where are Manchester Airport travellers heading? And which ‘dupe’ destinations are worth a look? Our travel experts share must-see tips, hidden gems and smart alternatives. Plus, Andy from the Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office joins us with essential advice on what to do when travel plans go wrong.
This year, aviation TikToker and social media influencer Mo T - The Airport Guy has joined forces with MAG to try out different jobs across the airport. In this episode, he’s our guest host, joined by colleagues and partners who are dedicated to inspiring the next generation. What careers are possible in aviation? How diverse is the industry behind the scenes? What qualifications do you need - and where do you start?
Your questions, answered... straight from the top. Manchester Airport MD Chris Woodroofe and the leadership team take your questions on the airport’s transformation and future vision. Three years into Chris’s time as Managing Director, he reflects on the progress made, the challenges overcome, and what’s next for Manchester as a global hub for the North.
A new era for Manchester Airport is ready for take-off. Manchester Airport is nearing the completion of its £1.3bn, decade-long transformation - with a bigger, better Terminal 2 at its heart. Hywel and Head of Retail Richard Jackson go behind the scenes at the new-look Terminal 2 to see the finishing touches. From new shops and cafés to smarter security and parking systems. What does it all mean for your next trip?
India’s biggest airline lands in Manchester! IndiGo’s new Mumbai route connects the North directly to India’s financial capital. But why Manchester? What’s the impact for business, culture, and the Indian diaspora? We head to Old Trafford to hear from industry and community leaders shaping Manchester–India connections, all while soaking up the atmosphere at the England v India Test.
Every year, Greater Manchester receives millions of international tourists, many brought by a love of football and music, with others travelling further afield to enjoy the scenery of national parks like Snowdonia and the Lake District. We speak to Victoria Braddock from Marketing Manchester on why people from around the world want to visit the city and the role the airport plays in that. We also hear from Jen Cormack who is a Sales and Marketing Director for Windermere Lake Cruises, as well as a non-executive Director of Cumbria Tourism on how the airport is offering a gateway for international visitors to explore one of the UK’s most scenic spots.
Tom and Adam take a trip to the shadows of Big Ben, where they chat to Manchester Airport Group’s Head of Public Affairs Joe Chapman, exploring the engagement MAN does in Westminster, and looking at what July’s general election result means for the future of aviation. Meanwhile, while we’re in the capital, we call in on Gareth Powell, MD of MAN’s sister airport, London Stansted, to find out what the similarities and differences are between two of the UK’s “big four” airports.
Ryan and Jade from Live the Dash, are among the most-followed travel creators on the net, with 750k followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. They are also regular travellers from Manchester. They talk to Tom and Adam about what it’s like to be a travel influencer and share stories of their recent trips from their second home, MAN. We also check back in with the airport’s social media team, who launched their own TikTok channel late last year, and have been doing some jet setting of their own.
Grab your hard hats and safety goggles, we’re taking you onto the construction site that will soon be Terminal 2. Last series, we heard from Jill Fraser on the plans for Phase 2 of MANTP. In this episode, Tom and Adam are joined by Rick Wagstaffe from the MANTP team to hear about the progress made and take a tour of the parts of T2 that are under construction, including the new pier and departure lounge. They also drop in to see the new baggage system, which will move hold luggage from check-in to the aircraft more quickly than ever before and use a state-of-the-art automated system to sort bags with accuracy of over 99.9%. Following the terminal tour, it’s time to head out onto the airfield to see how a reconfiguration of the taxiways is making Manchester Airport more efficient than ever before. We hear from Ben Gledhill on the airport’s Talent Acquisition team who explains how the transformation programme and wider growth of the airport is opening up new career opportunities for local people.
Where are some of the weird and wonderful places people will be jetting off to this summer and beyond? Manchester Airport is proud to serve new routes to destinations as varied as Luxembourg, Shanghai, Las Vegas and Casablanca this summer, but old favourites like Spain, Greece and Turkey will be very popular as well. We speak to Candice Flanagan, a holiday sales rep at TUI, about the most popular destinations for the summer and we check back in with Managing Director Chris Woodroofe who answers our questions ahead of the start of the busy summer season.
It’s time to add some glitz and glamour to the podcast, so we’re talking Vegas, baby! Tom Fordyce and co-host Adam Jupp are back with one of the most exciting updates yet. Taking you behind the scenes of one of the biggest route inaugurals at Manchester Airport this summer, we speak to John Parton from Virgin Atlantic about the new route, and also catch up with travel creators Live The Dash, who have just returned from a six-day trip to Vegas on the new service, to lift the lid on the self-styled ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’.
On our final episode of the series, Tom takes to the skies with TUI pilot Damian Ikin to find out what really goes on inside the cockpit. And on the ground, Adam explains how Manchester Airport dealt with the recent air traffic control outage.
Can you take a cat skull through security? Tom and Adam get an insight into the weird and wonderful questions answered by Ellie Todd and Ffion Williams from Manchester Airport's social media team. And speaking of questions, they put some of yours to Managing Director, Chris Woodroofe.
Feeling hungry? Tom and Adam get stuck into the culinary delights on offer at Manchester Airport. Keith McAvoy from the brewing company Seven Bro7hers treats Tom to a tipple and shares what it’s like to run the Amber Ale House in Terminal 2. On the business end, Commercial Director Stephen Turner explains how Manchester Airport chooses which bars and restaurants to put in its terminals.
From supersonic flight to streamlined security, Tom and Adam are on a mission to find out more about the tech changing the way we travel. They speak to Antonio Filippone, Professor of Computational Aerodynamics at the University of Manchester, about new developments in the sky – and on the ground they sit down with Operations Director, Rad Taylor, who discusses his role in helping the airport roll out the latest technology.
Ever wondered what it’s like to work at thirty thousand feet? Tom and Adam sit down with Virgin Atlantic Cabin Crew, Nick Rowbotham, who lets them in on the secrets of the skies.
From the ‘bird-scarer’ to the ‘snow-man’ Tom and Adam hear about Manchester Airport’s weirdest jobs and hit the tarmac with Airfield Operations Manager, Peter Griffiths. They’ll also visit Jo Jackson in the airport’s AeroZone, an interactive education centre, where Tom gets a taste of some of the most exciting roles Manchester Airport has to offer. Find out more about the AeroZone here: https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/education/
How do you sell Manchester to the world? Tom and Adam unpack the anatomy of a deal with globetrotting Aviation Director, Rob Smith. They also ask the big question - how do we make air travel sustainable? Adam Freeman, Head of Environmental Strategy, shares the huge strides Manchester Airport has made to becoming the UK’s first independently certified carbon neutral airport.