Airport honours 100th anniversary of pioneering London – Manchester flight

Louis Paulhan made the historic 195-mile (/298 km) flight in his Farman biplane

Manchester Airport has today renamed a road in honour of the first man to fly from London to Manchester – 100 years to the day of his landing in the city.

Frenchman Louis Paulhan made the historic 195-mile (/298 km) flight in his Farman biplane, landing in a field a few miles north of the current site of Manchester Airport in Burnage, on 28th April 1910. The flight took four hours and 12 minutes and made front-page news across the world, with Louis claiming a £10,000 prize offered by a national newspaper.

The road leading to the airport’s Aviation Viewing Park, which is located next to the runway and home to retired iconic airliners including Concorde, will now be known as “Louis Paulhan Way”.

Andrew Cornish, Managing Director of Manchester Airport, said: “Louis Paulhan essentially brought the age of flying to the city of Manchester and at the time it was considered around the world to be one of the greatest aviation feats to date.

“Naming a road in Louis’ honour at our Aviation Viewing Park, which is already home to aviation icons such as Concorde and Trident, was the most appropriate tribute to mark this anniversary.”

Two special trains were chartered to Burnage Station to take spectators to the landing, with other spectators waiting through the previous night, whilst Louis’ wife followed on a train throughout the journey.

Mr Paulhan returned to Manchester in October 1962 when he was one of the guests of honour at the opening of Manchester Airport’s Terminal One. He passed away four months later at the age of 79.