Manchester Airport Delays Strand Thousands Due to Taxiway Defect and Severe Weather.

December 16, 2025 at 10:41 AM•1 min read

Manchester Airport faced widespread delays and cancellations after a taxiway defect and severe weather forced a runway closure on Monday.

Key Points

1Thousands of holiday travelers were stranded at Manchester Airport (MAN) due to extensive delays and flight cancellations on Monday.
2Operational issues stemmed from a taxiway defect reported at 6 am, necessitating the closure of one runway, exacerbated by severe weather conditions.
3Delays ranged from 25 minutes up to five hours, leaving passengers "fuming" and forcing some to purchase expensive replacement flights.
4The disruption occurred shortly after MAN's terminals were ranked among the worst in the UK by a consumer survey, highlighting ongoing service issues.

Thousands of passengers commencing their Christmas travel plans faced significant disruption at Manchester Airport (MAN) on Monday following extensive delays and flight cancellations. Delays began early, ranging from 25 minutes up to five hours, escalating throughout the day and leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded, with some travelers reporting having to purchase new flights at significant cost.

The operational chaos was attributed to a combination of severe weather and infrastructure failure. The Met Office had issued a yellow weather warning for heavy rainfall, leading to low visibility and slower aircraft movement. Crucially, a small defect was reported on a taxiway around 6 am, forcing the airport to close one of its two runways to facilitate repairs. Airport officials confirmed that passenger safety was the top priority, noting that the repair work was made more challenging by the severe weather conditions, though the affected runway was reopened shortly after midday.

This incident adds to recent scrutiny of the busy hub, which has been widely criticized for its operational performance. Two of Manchester Airport’s three terminals (T1 and T3) were recently ranked as the least pleasant in the UK in a major consumer survey, underscoring ongoing concerns about passenger experience amidst infrastructure challenges.