‘Week of anniversaries’ at Manchester Airport as hub marks hat-trick of airline milestones

Three airlines with long-standing services from Manchester Airport are marking major milestones in the space of a week.

Yesterday, Singapore Airlines marked 40 years of direct connections between Manchester and the south-east Asian country. Singapore Airlines is the longest serving long-haul airline at Manchester Airport, having begun its operations with a twice-weekly service in 1986.

Apart from a brief hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic, it has offered a regular scheduled service between Manchester and Singapore ever since, and today flies the route five times per week. It also became the first airline to operate a commercial Airbus A350 flight from Manchester Airport in 2017. Passengers travelling on Tuesday morning’s 10:35 service were treated to branded honeycomb chocolate bars and cupcakes underneath the backdrop of a celebratory balloon arch in the iconic Singapore Airlines colours.

Today, SAS Scandinavian Airlines marks the 60^th anniversary of its inaugural Manchester to Copenhagen flight on 1^st April 1966 – just three months before England lifted the World Cup, and four months before The Beatles played their last ever live concert. Now, in addition to its Copenhagen service, the airline also connects Manchester to two other Scandinavian capital cities – Stockholm and Oslo.

With 34 flights from Manchester airport per week - 11 to Oslo, nine to Stockholm and 14 to Copenhagen – SAS Scandinavian has a larger operation at Manchester than at any other UK airport besides Heathrow. The airline held a special celebration at the gate ahead of its 09:35 flight to Copenhagen on Wednesday morning.

And next Tuesday, Icelandair will celebrate its 20^th anniversary of flying from Manchester to the country’s capital, Reykjavik. Launching initially with twice weekly flights in April 2006, the service has since expanded to four weekly flights in the summer and daily flights in the winter. From this summer, three of those weekly flights will operate on the airline’s new Airbus A321 aircraft.

To celebrate the milestone, Icelandair is offering travellers a 20% discount on its flights from Manchester to Reykjavik when booked between tomorrow and 6^th April, across Economy Standard & Flex as well as Saga Premium & Flex seats. Travellers just need to include the discount code MAN20 at the checkout.

The anniversaries cap a big week for Manchester Airport with the Easter school holidays under way, marking the start of the aviation industry’s summer season, and easyJet’s launch of a brand-new service to Montpellier in France.

Further airline anniversaries are on the horizon, too – with Lufthansa marking 70 years of flying from Manchester on 22^nd April, Air France set to mark their 80^th anniversary on 16^th June, and Virgin Atlantic celebrating 30 years of direct connections between Manchester and North America on 17^th June. Etihad Airways also celebrated its 20^th anniversary at Manchester last month.

Stephen Turner, Chief Commercial Officer at Manchester Airport, said:

“We’re proud to connect people from across the North with destinations across the globe, with a broader route network than any other airport in the UK outside London. We wouldn’t be able to offer that, however, without the strong relationships that we’ve built with more than 50 airlines, many of whom have been flying out of Manchester for a very long time.

“It’s great to mark three major airline anniversaries in one week and celebrate the connections that those airlines have helped us build with cities and communities from Singapore to Scandinavia. Singapore Airlines, SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Icelandair are all highly valued partners and we appreciate their ongoing commitment to the people of Manchester and the North.

“The completion of our £1.3bn investment in Terminal 2 means passengers flying with all three of these airlines can expect a great experience, with access to fantastic modern facilities – and this investment in our infrastructure will allow us to develop our route network even further in years to come.”

Bogi Nils Bogason, President and CEO at Icelandair said:

"Icelandair is proud of our partnership with the community in the North of England, and our ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional service. As travellers discover Iceland's stunning natural beauty and connect to 17 destinations across United States and Canada, we look forward to many more years of growth and exploration together."

Mohamed Rafi Mar, General Manager UK & Ireland, Singapore Airlines, said:

“We are thrilled to mark our 40th anniversary at Manchester Airport. As the gateway to the North, Manchester continues to be an important route for the Airline, and the only hub outside London that we operate from the UK. We look forward to many more years of serving the local community, including customers in Scotland with our airline partner Loganair.”