Mancs will soon get the chance to travel to some of the most beautiful and underrated places on Earth for the first time.
Now that 2026 is here and well underway, the new year is shaping up to be ‘groundbreaking’ for Manchester Airport – especially with its decade-long, £1.3 billion transformation of Terminal 2 due to be completed in a matter of weeks, and a project to redesign and improve other areas and terminals also rapidly progressing.
But if that wasn’t exciting enough as it is, the promise of seven new flight routes to destinations across the world being added into the mix should do it.
Four of the destinations are even completely brand-new to the Airport too.
Manchester Airport has launched seven new routes for 2026 / Credit: Daphne Richard | Denilo | Henrique Ferreira (via Unsplash)
Already described as being ‘the UK’s global gateway in the North’, Manchester Airport offers a route network that’s unparalleled outside London, with more than 200 destinations served by 50 airlines – but that network is set to widen again this year, with seven new services already confirmed from the likes of easyJet, Jet2.com and Ryanair.
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From stunning French cities and Italian islands, to Greek landscapes and even the chance to see one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, there’s so much to choose from on the roster of new destinations.
easyJet’s service to Montpellier – one of the biggest cities in southern France, offering an array of cultural and archaeological sites, museums, galleries, beaches, and more – launches on Monday 30 March, while Jet2 begins flying to the Canary Island of La Palma form Friday 3 April, and the first direct service from Manchester to Palermo, the largest city on the island of Sicily, starts on Friday 1 May.
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2025 has brought exciting developments for our airfield and Terminal 2! ✨
Manchester Airport is looking better than ever and there is still more exciting improvements to come.
Preveza and Samos, both in Greece, the Spanish city loved by locals, Castellon, and the ancient Turkish gem of Bodrum round out the list of new destinations.
More routes are also expected be confirmed over the course of this year too, so keep your eyes peeled for announcements.
“Our route network is unrivalled, with more than 200 destinations across the planet,” commented Chris Woodroofe, who is the Managing Director at Manchester Airport.
“Here we have a list here of what we refer to as our biggest unserved destinations – that’s the destinations that we don’t have direct flights to but have the greatest demand, demonstrated by people from the region travelling to them either on connecting flights or from other airports.”
Featured Image – Nithin Shetty (via Unsplash)
News
Family pay tribute to father-of-two killed in Rochdale plane crash
Daisy Jackson
The family of a man killed in a light aircraft crash in Rochdale have paid tribute to a ‘deeply loving father and devoted husband’.
36-year-old Arian Abbasi was one of two men killed when an aircraft crashed into farmland in Littleborough in Rochdale last week, after travelling from Birmingham.
Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after 11am on Tuesday 3 February, but sadly pronounced both men dead at the scene.
It’s believed there was no one else on board the aircraft, and there were no reported injuries on the ground.
Now, Arian’s family have issued a moving tribute to him. He was a pilot from Harrow in Greater London.
They described him as being a ‘deeply loving’ family man, whose passion was flying.
He was about to embark on a new chapter with a commercial airline in just a few weeks’ time.
His family said: “He lived his life for his family and friends, giving them his constant love, strength, and support.
“Flying was his passion, and he was on the brink of beginning an exciting new chapter with a commercial airline on 23 February; a dream he had worked toward with immense pride and determination.”
GMP investigations are now focused on finding part of the parachute system which contains propellant and hasn’t yet been located.
Finding the device has been ‘very difficult’ due to the nature of the terrain and the wide area over which it may have travelled.
It measures approximately 10 cm in diameter and 30 cm long and has a red anodised finish. It weighs less than 2 kg. It may have a silver metal collar attached at one end.
GMP said: “Please do not handle the device if you see it. If discovered, contact the police immediately via 101 or our Live Chat at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1056 of 03/02/26.”
Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free bus travel to and from school
Emily Sergeant
Children who are currently living in temporary housing in Greater Manchester are set to get extra support with school travel.
In a move that was announced by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) at the end of last week, and following years of campaigning, homeless children living in temporary accommodation are now set to get free school travel on all Bee Network buses.
TfGM says it understands that some children end up a long way from their school when placed into temporary accommodation, and this leaves parents or carers with the difficult choice of either having to move them to a closer school, which ultimately disrupts their education, or having to pay unexpected travel costs.
While the Greater Manchester Strategy – which is the plan for the city region’s next decade – commits to reducing the number of families and children in temporary accommodation, and measures are also being taken to make sure residents have the support they need to ‘access, improve, and retain’ a decent, affordable home, this doesn’t tackle the immediate issue.
Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free school bus travel / Credit: TfGM
So, to help those families when they ‘need it most’, free bus travel to and from school is set to be provided, as subject to approval of this year’s Combined Authority budget.
The move comes after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham asked TfGM last year to look at options to help with the cost of travel.
“Using our locally-controlled Bee Network buses to support families when they need it most is the right thing to do,” Andy Burnham commented.
Of course, the long-term solution is no kids in TA and we’re working with our councils to achieve this in the next few years.
We can do it because GM will soon hit the point where we are building more council and social homes every year than we’re losing through right-to-buy. 👍🏻
“A move into temporary accommodation is often a massive upheaval for families and can be a worrying time. With this measure, the cost of travel to school will be one less thing for families to worry about.
“It will mean parents and carers don’t have to choose between an extra demand on their household budget and keeping their children with friends and teachers they know and trust.”
Emily Sergeant -
16th January 2026 
