Tomorrow, October 31, marks a decade of Concorde G-BOAC landing at Manchester Airport’s Runway Visitor Park.
Concorde touched down at Manchester Airport carrying British Airways VIPS for its last ever flight on October 31 2003. It went on public display in April 2004 at the already established Runway Visitor Park, joining the Avro RJX and Monarch DC-10 nose already on display. It was the first Concorde to go on display in the UK.
The Runway Visitor Park
officially opened in May 1997
following relocation from the
opposite side of the runway
where the ‘Aviation Viewing
Park’ had been established
since 1992.
When plans for the second
runway came into force, the
viewing park was relocated to
its current spot on Sunbank
Lane.
Manchester Airport Runway Visitor Park Manager, Rob Pattinson said: “For several years, the Runway Visitor Park was simply a field next to the runway where enthusiasts could watch the planes coming and going however in 2002, planning permission was received to site aircrafts there as well as catering and other facilities including picnic tables, an aviation shop and a children’s play area.
“This summer saw the Runway Visitor Park cement its place in the top 10 most visited attractions in Greater Manchester, with over 330,000 visitors in 2012 so we’ve come a long way over the last decade and Concorde has and continues to be a huge part of that success.”
Concorde was on display outdoors until February 2009 when a specialist hangar was built to protect the iconic aircraft from the outdoor elements. The hangar was officially opened by British Airway’s Chief Executive at the time Willie Walsh in February 2009.
Members of the public can book tours of Concorde via the Runway Visitor Park which provides tour guides to talk through Concorde’s history and answer questions, a tour of underneath and on board Concorde, a boarding certificate and photo opportunities – you can even get a glass of bubbly with some tour packages.
The hangar is also available to hire out for private or corporate functions, including weddings, gala dinners and events.
More information about the Runway Visitor Park can be found here: http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/content/runwayvisitorpark