As departures from Manchester Airport top 23m – a record – where are all these passengers going, and what languages will they need when they get there?
Manchester Airport has been around for 77 years, and with a new tram link, a new runway and increasing numbers of flights, the 23 millionth flyer in the past 12 months passed through the airport recently.
What languages will passengers need?
Nearly all the most popular international destinations from Manchester Airport over the last year were not English speaking – only 2. Dublin and 9. Orlando were. The other 8 out of the 10 top destinations speak Arabic (Dubai), Dutch (Amsterdam), Spanish (Tenerife, Palma, Alicante and Malaga), French (Paris) and Portuguese (Faro).
You could argue that these lucky travellers don’t need to learn any of these languages, as local people will all know English! However it’s always a good idea to learn some phrases in the language of the country you are visiting – it helps smooth the way, as it shows a willingness to engage with local people.
There are now 210 destinations served by the ‘Global Gateway from the North’, so travellers can get to most corners of the globe from Manchester – and the opportunities for trying out new languages are increasing!
What languages will passengers need in the future?
Manchester Airport bosses have ambitious plans to develop more routes to long haul destinations such as India, Shanghai and Thailand, giving local travellers the opportunity to try Hindi, Mandarin and Thai.
Why wait?! You can get started now at la Academia on any of the languages mentioned here, and by the time Manchester Airport reaches 24m passengers a year you could be chatting away in any of them – give us a ring to find out more! Tel: 0161 491 1444, or email : info@laacademia.co.uk