MANCHESTER Airport is to launch a price war with other regional airports by reducing its landing fees to aircraft.

The Airport's chairman, Councillor Graham Stringer, said today the move was needed in the face of fierce competition in a shrinking market.

At one time Manchester had the UK's highest landing fees, but now they are behind both Heathrow and Gatwick, charging from £2,000 for a jumbo jet to £75 for small light aircraft.

Manchester has been hit by increasing competition from other airports as well as by a one million drop in the number of UK charter passengers last year.

Councillor Stringer, who is today presenting the Airport's annual report to the Airport Board, said Manchester had responded by cutting costs while maintaining quality, but the position could not continue indefinitely.

He said the Airport now planned to invest heavily in a major campaign to attract more charter traffic and prestige international routes, and he was still confident the Airport would achieve its target of 15.5 million passengers in the next 18 months.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.