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Manchester Airport lies approximately 8½ miles to the south west of Manchester city centre. It is the largest, and busiest, airport in the UK outside the London area. The airport comprises three terminals and a goods terminal and provides flights to over 200 destinations. It is the only British airport other than London Heathrow to operate two runways over 3,000 m (9,843 ft) in length.

The airport officially opened (as Ringway Airport) in 1938. During the war, it was called RAF Ringway and, between 1975 and 1986, Manchester International Airport. It 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. The airport has good transport links and is served by the M56 motorway and by Manchester Airport railway station which provides extensive rail connections. The Metrolink tramway extension opened in November 2014, providing a tram link between the airport and the city centre.