Manchester Airport to run prize giveaway worth up to £20,000 as part of 85th birthday celebrations

The northern hub announced a special programme of activity to ring in the milestone, including a prize draw with free flights to destinations all over the world, the reincarnation of one of its iconic chandeliers and an exhibition celebrating the history of Wythenshawe – and much more.

The first-ever flight from what was then known as Ringway Airport took off on June 27, 1938, two days after it officially opened its doors on the 25th.

Manchester Airport has since grown to become the UK’s global gateway in the North, employing tens of thousands of people and connecting the region to nearly 200 different destinations.

Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director of Manchester Airport, said: “We are proud to celebrate 85 years of connecting this region to the world, and it is fantastic to be joined in marking this occasion by many of the airline partners who have helped Manchester Airport grow into the UK’s global gateway in the North.

“Manchester Airport is already the UK’s largest airport outside London but we are intent on improving the passenger experience.

“Our £1.3bn Transformation Programme is due to be completed in 2025 and will give us the platform to compete with other major European airports for routes to new destinations, which will, in turn, attract inward investment to the wider region.”

As part of the celebrations, passengers and airport followers can enter a huge competition for the chance to win free tickets to exotic destinations like Las Vegas, Dubai, Beijing, Paris and Toronto as part of a £20,000 prize draw giveaway.

Eight airlines, including KLM, Emirates, Hainan Airlines and AirTransat have offered up prizes for the competition.

The prize draw launched on Monday (June 26) and one lucky winner will scoop a flights-plus-hotel package for two people to visit Las Vegas, when direct flights to the world’s entertainment capital resume next summer.

The Las Vegas package, worth more than £3,000, includes a three-night stay in a hotel on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and two complementary tickets to a Cirque du Soleil show.

Manchester Airport’s very first commercial flight operated to Amsterdam with KLM, two days after it opened, on June 27, 1938.

The Dutch airline still serves the same route to this day, and is offering a pair of tickets from Manchester ‘to the world’, with a transfer in Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, giving the winner a choice of more than 170 destinations for their free flight.

Turkish Airlines will also provide two free tickets to Istanbul.

The airline’s direct Manchester – Istanbul service celebrates its own 30-year milestone this summer.

Visitors to the city that hosted this year’s Champions League final will find historic landmarks like the Hagia Sophia, a vibrant nightlife and fantastic food and drink.

Other airlines offering tickets as part of the prize draw include:

- Air France, offering a pair of return tickets to Paris.

- Hainan Airlines, who will lay on a free flight for two lucky guests to Beijing.

- Emirates, offering two free return economy flights to Dubai.

- Canadian airline AirTransat, with two pairs of Eco Standard return tickets to Toronto.

- Singapore Airlines, providing a pair of return economy tickets on their route to Houston, Texas.

- Ethiopian Airlines, providing two return tickets from Manchester to Zanzibar, Mombasa or the Seychelles via a connection in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.

Other prizes include free executive lounge access, free meals at selected airport eateries, Duty Free vouchers, Champagne tours of the iconic Concorde at the Runway Visitor Park, and airport goody bags.

Entries close on Wednesday, July 26, and winners will be contacted shortly thereafter.

For more information, visit https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/competitions-and-offers/our-birthday/.