Barton Aerodrome - Manchester's New Airport

1920s & 1930s

Barton on Irwell is a suburb of Salford and is the home to Barton Aerodrome. With the closure of the aerodrome at Alexandra Park in 1924, Manchester Corporation leaders and the local Chamber of Commerce recognised the need for a permanent aerodrome for Manchester.

An Airport Special Committee was set up and was granted borrowing powers up to £30,000 to convert a part of Chat Moss near Eccles in to an airport.

(Photograph showing) - Barton Aerodrome Plan

As a stopgap to make sure Manchester was on the 'air map' Rack House Farm in Wythenshawe was licensed by the Air Ministry on 19th April 1929. Manchester thus became the first local authority to control an airport.

When Barton opened in 1930, Wythenshawe Aerodrome closed. Rack House Primary School now occupies the site of the former airport.

Barton Aerodrome with its grass runways and an area covering almost 260 acres opened in January 1930 in the midst of the great depression. The first aircraft to land was an Avro Avian. The aerodrome had 4 specially prepared grass runways, a large hangar, a control tower, a building for customs and bookings and a Hotel. It was managed until 1933 by Northern Air Transport, who operated several Avro 504s.

In the first year landings totalled 1,025 and departures 1,035 and due to the Great Depression Northern Air Transport required a £500 subsidy per annum from the council.

The losses mounted up and the new airport was struggling. Manchester Corporation having spent almost £70,000 encouraging civil aviation to the region pinned its hopes on attracting the only international airline interested in the North of England.

That airline was KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

By 1934, KLM managements view was that Barton was unsuitable as an international airport for the new passenger aeroplanes and decided to obtain the opinion of its foremost pilot Captain Ivan Smirnoff. As a decorated WW1 fighter pilot for the allies, Smirnoff was forced to circle the aerodrome four times before landing his Fokker 12 aeroplane.

KLM Emblem of 1930