Manchester Airport is now selling £12 tickets to anyone eager enough to want see the first A380 super-jumbo land there on September 1.
The 517-seat Emirates A380, inbound from Dubai, is due to land at 1225 before starting the return journey at 1530. The Dubai-based airline has flown the MAN-DXB route since 1990, but in March announced it would roster an A380 making it the first airline to serve a regional airport with the superjumbo (see online news March 30).
Manchester said it expected “huge numbers of spectators” to its Runway Visitor Park. Visitors arriving by foot or public transport can enter for free, but cars must pre-book tickets at a cost of £12 per vehicle.
Andrew Cornish, Manchester Airport’s managing director, said it would be a “once in a lifetime opportunity” and likened it to Concorde’s last flight to Manchester.
“This is a really significant day for aviation here in the North West and we aim to celebrate it appropriately,” said Cornish.
Preparations for the event are well underway, it seems, with extra A380-model aircraft currently being stockpiled for sale in the park's Aviation Shop.
For more information visit manchesterairport.co.uk.
Report by Andrew Gough
