Emissions Information

Airport-related emissions

Our Emissions Information Pack gives information on emissions from activities associated with Manchester Airport. It also provides information about how emissions contribute to local air quality and climate change. We also provide information in the pack about the steps we are taking to reduce emissions. 

More information about our initiatives and performance

The detailed Environment Plan of our Sustainable Development Plan provides more information about the background to air quality and climate change. It also explains the steps we take to operate responsibly. The detailed Economy and Surface Access Plan of our Sustainable Development Plan explains the steps we will take to minimise emissions from passengers and staff travelling to and from the Airport.

Every year we publish a Corporate Social Responsibility Report for MAG and Manchester Airport, which give an overview of our performance. More detailed information is also available here:

• 2023 results of air quality monitoring undertaken by Manchester Airport

• 2022 results of air quality monitoring undertaken by Manchester Airport

• Historic results of air quality monitoring undertaken by Manchester Airport

Information from the aviation industry

• Sustainable Aviation is uniquely placed to bring together key players of the UK Aviation Industry. We actively contribute to the work of Sustainable Aviation and were, with other MAG airports, a founding member of the coalition. The Sustainable Aviation website provides information about air quality and climate change.

• ACI Europe is the trade body for European airports and has an active programme of environmental management initiatives. ACI Europe regularly publish information about air quality, climate change and other environmental matters of interest to airports and our neighbouring communities. 

• The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations. It provides international oversight of civil aviation and undertakes a wide range of environmental work – including regulating emissions from aircraft engines. 

Information from Governmental Organisations

Information about emissions, air quality and climate change is available from a range of organisations. We have provided links to some of these below:

Guidance on aircraft Contrails

• Contrails form when the warm moist exhaust from aircraft mixes with the cold drier ambient air producing ice crystal clouds. The nuclei of some of the ice crystals in a contrail will contain minute products of combustion but they are essentially ice.

Air quality and emissions that affect air quality

• The UK-AIR website, provided by the Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), gives information about emissions and air quality.  It also provides current and historic air quality monitoring results.

• The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has a Low-Emission Strategy which aims to reduce emissions that affect air quality and climate change.

• The GreatAir Manchester Website, provided by the Combined Authorities of Greater Manchester, gives information about emissions and air quality in Greater Manchester.

• Your local authority can provide more information about air quality in your area.

Climate change, emissions that affect climate change and climate change adaptation

• The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) provide information about climate change and climate change adaptation.

• The Committee on Climate Change is an independent statutory body which advises the UK Government and Devolved Administration on emissions targets and reports to Parliament on progress made in reducing emissions and preparing for climate change. It also provides useful information about climate change and climate change adaptation.

• The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has a Low-Emission Strategy which aims to reduce emissions that affect air quality and climate change.

Government aviation policy

• The Government has provided advice to the Civil Aviation Authority on environmental objectives including balancing controls for the different environmental impacts of aviation.