Manchester Airport is proposing to increase the use of both runways to enable them to meet increased demand from both business and leisure travellers.
The airport currently uses both runways during the day time, but planning permission does not allow the use of Runway 2 between 10pm and 6am, unless they are doing maintenance on Runway 1 or there is an emergency.
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said "Communities asked us to keep the use of both runways at the same time to a minimum. Since Runway 2 opened we have been able to restrict our opening in the middle of the day and at the weekends. As our movement numbers have increased over recent years, we will need to change our hours for dual runway use to meet the needs of our business.
"Our business is growing; in the last 12 months we have had more than 27 million passengers with larger aircraft and more flights. The changes will bring about more efficient operations, benefitting airlines and passengers by reducing delays, and offer us opportunities to bring down time when aircraft taxi, therefore reducing ground noise and emissions."
Runway movements at Manchester Airport have increased from 435 a day in 2010 to 582 a day in 2017.
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said "To manage this increase we need to be able to use both runways for more of the time. For this reason, we plan to increase the use of both runways from the summer of 2018 and to open Runway 2 for a longer period."
From Summer 2018 Manchester Airport is proposing that both runways will be used from 6am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 6am to 4pm on Saturdays and 6am to 9.30am and 1pm to 9pm on Sundays.
The spokesperson added "We do recognise that these changes will have a detrimental effect on some communities that are over-flown by aircraft both landing and departing from Runway 2. Depending on where you live there may be no change, or less or more aircraft."
Representatives from Manchester Airport will be attending Wilmslow Town Council meeting on Monday 16th October to discuss these proposals, members of the public are welcome to attend.
Additionally they have created a dedicated email address for this change [email protected]. Queries to this address will be answered by a team with particular knowledge about the change.
Further information can be found on the Manchester Airport website.
