MANCHESTER Airport is to team up with Mancunian poet Tony Walsh as part of its 80th birthday celebrations.

The airport is creating a striking short film to mark the milestone, with Tony – aka Longfella – penning the words the imagery will be set to.

The film will showcase how the airport has evolved over the past eight decades, as well as highlighting poignant memories from staff, passengers and members of the public.

It will be premiered on the airport’s ‘oak’ birthday on June 25.

Tony Walsh said: “The airport evokes so many special memories for people in the north west.

“It’s been an honour to spend time with the airport staff, getting to know the history and understanding the future.

“It is the beating heart of the region and I’m really looking forward to sharing my work and highlighting the achievements of the past 80 years and no doubt evoking a few emotions too.”

Andrew Cowan, CEO of Manchester Airport, said: “To collaborate with someone like Tony on a project to celebrate our 80th birthday is really fitting.

“As I am sure anyone who has listened to Tony’s work will agree, his words tap into the sense of pride we all feel about Manchester, and wider north, and celebrate the things we are famous for around the world.

“Manchester Airport has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1938, growing from a single shed offering a handful of flights, to an international gateway connecting people to more than 220 destinations around the world.

“Over the years, it has touched the lives of almost everyone in the region, whether that be as a passenger heading off on holiday, one of our tens of thousands of colleagues, or as someone who has benefited from the range of projects we deliver in the community.

“This project will reflect the part Manchester Airport has played in people’s lives and how its evolution has gone hand-in-hand with that of the city and north as a whole.

“I am looking forward to hearing Tony’s words set to the final film and sharing it with our 22,000 colleagues and 28 million passengers alike.”