About this museum
Also known as / searched as: Manchester Airport Viewing Park · Manchester Airport viewing area · Manchester Airport plane spotting · Manchester Airport Aviation Viewing Park
Manchester Airport's Runway Visitor Park is plane-spotting institutionalised: raised mounds a fence-width from the 23L threshold, a cafe, and a small but shameless collection of retired heavy metal you can board. It is the cheapest full-fat aviation day out in the country — free entry, pay only for parking — and the pilots wave.
Listed inventory: 5 airframes.
Concorde G-BOAC, British Airways' flagship (the 'OAC' registration was no accident), enthroned in her own glass hangar with tours from technical to champagne-grade.
- Concorde G-BOAC — the British Airways flagship
- Trident 3B
- Nimrod MR.2
- Avro RJX — the last airliner built in Britain
Book Concorde tours ahead; weekends are busy. Bring a picnic and a long lens. Reviewers' only consistent gripe is wanting taller viewing platforms, which is the right kind of complaint.
“Manchester Airport Runway Visitor Park is a fantastic day out for aviation …”— Adekola, visitor report
Best plane-spotting spots at the Runway Visitor Park
The park is the official viewing area for Manchester Airport: raised grass mounds set a fence-width from the 23L threshold, so arrivals pass close and low overhead. The mounds nearest the threshold give the classic head-on approach shot; the southern end works better for departures and taxiing traffic. A cafe, picnic tables and a shop sit behind the viewing line, and a long lens plus something to sit on is the standard kit list.
Concorde G-BOAC and the airliner collection
Concorde G-BOAC — British Airways' flagship — is housed in her own glass hangar with tours ranging from technical walk-throughs to champagne visits, and needs booking ahead. Parked alongside are a Hawker Siddeley Trident 3B, a Nimrod MR.2, the Avro RJX85 prototype (the last British-built airliner) and the forward fuselage of a DC-10.
Opening times, charges and location
The park is at Sunbank Lane, Altrincham WA15 8XQ, and is normally open daily 8am–8pm from June to August and 9am–5pm from September to May. Entry to the viewing area is free; you pay for parking on a sliding scale of roughly £6 to £15 depending on how long you stay, and Concorde tours are ticketed separately. Weekends are busy — arrive early for a spot on the mounds.
Frequently asked
Where can you watch planes at Manchester Airport?
The Runway Visitor Park on Sunbank Lane, Altrincham WA15 8XQ, is the official viewing area — raised mounds right beside the runway 23L threshold, with a cafe behind them.
Is the Runway Visitor Park free?
Entry to the viewing area is free, but parking is charged (roughly £6–£15 depending on length of stay) and Concorde tours are ticketed separately.
Can you go inside Concorde at Manchester?
Yes — G-BOAC tours run from technical walk-throughs to premium visits, and should be booked in advance.
What are the Runway Visitor Park opening times?
Typically daily 8am–8pm in June to August and 9am–5pm from September to May. Confirm on the official site before travelling.
Airframe checklist
Tick them off as you go. Identities are as held in the gazetteer survey — verify against the museum’s own labels if something has moved.
| Type | Identity | |
|---|---|---|
| Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde | G-BOAC | |
| Avro RJX85 — the last British-built airliner | G-IRJX | |
| Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2 | XV231 | |
| Hawker Siddeley Trident 3B | G-AWZK | |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10 (forward fuselage) | — |
Inventory verification pending — figures from the gazetteer survey; confirm against the museum’s own labels before travel.
Location & contact
- Address
- Runway Visitor Park, Sunbank Ln, Altrincham WA15 8XQ
- Website
- www.runwayvisitorpark.co.uk/
- Hours
- Daily 8am–8pm (Jun–Aug); Daily 9am–5pm (Sep–May)
(from your local clock — verify before travel) - Gazetteer
- NO-03 on the situation map