manchester airport is an important airport in manchester, england. it opened to passengers in june 1938. it was first called ringway airport. during world war ii it officially became raf ringway, and from 1975 until 1986 the title manchester international airport was used. the airport is almost all within the city of manchester boundaries—the exception being the second runway, which lies mostly in cheshire manchester airport had the most passengers in the uk outside of london with 22.1 million people in 2007.