The expansion of "Flight Support", the airport ground handler based at Ronaldsway continues with the purchase of Manchester Handling at Britain’s third largest airport.

The Isle of Man-based company recently announced a contract to provide ground support to Scottish low cost carrier flyglobespan.com at both Manchester and Liverpool Airports, effective November 2006. On 2 November, Flyglobespan commences long haul flights from Manchester to Cape Town and Toronto with Boeing 767-300 aircraft. From John Lennon Liverpool Airport it launches flights to Prague and Tenerife, using the B737-800 and B757-200. New York follows in May 2007.


At Liverpool, the airport owned by Manx resident John Whittaker, Flight Support’s already looks after such customers as VLM, WIZZ, Balkan Holidays, Air Europa, Avia Jet and EuroManx, plus the Royal Mail flights operated by Air Charter Services and air freight company DHL. Flight Support took over the Liverpool operation from Aviance in October 2005 and this base now supports 39 staff.

The firm has 22 staff at Manchester Airport though Ronaldsway is Flight Support’s largest base, supporting 43 staff. Customers include EuroManx, VLM, Flybe, BNWA, Blue Islands (nee RockHopper), plus the mail contractors.