Remembering British Airtours Flight 28M, 40 years on

Today we remember the 53 passengers and two cabin crew who lost their lives on British Airtours Flight 28M. As we mark the 40th anniversary, our thoughts are also with everyone affected by the events of that day - from the passengers who survived, to those who lost a friend or loved one, and the first responders who put themselves in harm's way to save lives.

In the airport's Garden of Remembrance, an epitaph on the permanent memorial to the victims reads, 'their lives were not lost in vain.' Those words reflect the fact that every passenger who passes through Manchester Airport - and any other airport around the world - is safer, today, as a result of the lessons learned from that day's tragic events.

It's important that we take time to stop and remember. That is our commitment.

Chris Woodroofe - Managing Director, Manchester Airport