MAG Overview

Last year 54m passengers flew through our airports, and we contributed more than £8bn to the UK economy. MAG directly employs 7,000 people and supports more than 40,000 jobs across the supply chain.

We understand airports and air travel better than anyone. Our impact spans the length of the UK, with around 70% of the population living within a two-hour journey of a MAG airport. By working with a wide range of airlines to forge long-term partnerships that maximise the choice and value available to passengers, we have grown a large route network that connects people and businesses to the globe.

Looking ahead, we are ambitious and focused on making the future of travel better. We are investing in our airports to launch new routes, and give our passengers the best experience. In CAVU, we are using MAG’s decades of aviation experience and industry-leading consumer insights to revolutionise airport travel. And, running through everything we do, we are working confidently towards a sustainable future and achieving net zero for aviation by 2050.

As a core business value, creating a sustainable future for all sits at the heart of how we operate.

Our sustainability strategy, ‘Working Together for a Brighter Future’, sets out extensive and ambitious goals for how we will achieve net zero, provide employment and skills opportunities for all, and support our local communities with the issues that matter most to them.

We are working towards net zero carbon operations at our airports by 2038 – 12 years ahead of the national target. MAG was a founding member of the Government’s Jet Zero Council in 2020, which underpins our commitment to working with industry and Government partners to achieve UK net zero by 2050. MAG’s commitment to decarbonisation is long-standing: we were a founding member of Sustainable Aviation in 2005, and in 2016 we became the first airports group in the UK to be certified as carbon neutral. MAG is the only airport operator to be named a Financial Times ‘European Climate Leader’ for three consecutive years.

As our business grows, we believe its success should drive regional benefits, focusing on employment, skills, education, and regeneration. In 2022/23 we supported more than 6,500 young people’s education in our on-site Aerozones, and donated more than £1m to local causes in our communities.

MAG’s ownership structure is unique, and comprises an effective blend of public and private shareholders, including Manchester City Council (35.5%), IFM Global Infrastructure Fund (35.5%), and the nine other Greater Manchester local authorities (29%).