Shifting alignment of magnetic north has obliged Manchester Airport to change both runway headings.
While flightpaths to runways 24R/06L (Runway 1) and 24L/06R (Runway 2) will remain the same, their compass headings will change to 23R/05L and 23L/05R, to take into account of a shift in the earth”s magnetic field.
”It sounds a bit complex, but in a nutshell, the magnetic poles are where all the lines of force of the earth”s magnetic field are drawn together,” said Manchester Airport airfield general manager, Simon Butterworth.
”These poles are constantly drifting around and at present, magnetic north is heading out of Canadian territory into the Arctic Ocean at about 10 miles per year. That means magnetic north is on the move and so our runway has shifted on the compass from 24 to 23 and this name change reflects that.”
Once the magnetic runway heading falls below 235 degrees ” that is, halfway between 240 and 230 degrees, it becomes compulsory to re-name the runways to meet the closest heading.
The change is in name only ” aircraft will continue to operate normally ” while pilots are being informed and airfield signage will change.
”The flightpaths to runways 1 and 2 stay the same and this is an important change that we have to make in accordance with international standards,” said Butterworth.
Manchester”s runway 1 opened in 1938 and its second in 2001 ” to enormous environmental controversy ” while the airport expects to handle 42m passengers by 2015 as the gateway to England”s North West.