Manchester Airport has appointed a new Airport Marketing Manager, as the global gateway celebrates its busiest year ever and looks towards the future with its £1bn transformation programme and exciting destination growth.

Dr Charlotte Shi, has joined the UK’s third busiest airport after previously working as a Senior Lecturer in Fashion Marketing & Branding at Nottingham Trent University and a Project Consultant for Unibail-Rodamco in Paris. Charlotte holds a PhD from the University of Manchester and is also bilingual, being fluent in English and Mandarin.

Working as part of the airport’s Marketing team, Charlotte will be responsible for the Hainan Airlines marketing support programme and will lead on Manchester Airport Chinese social media. This follows the airport’s launch of The China Dividend: Two Years In, a report that examines the economic and social benefits felt by the North of England since Hainan Airlines’ direct service from Manchester to Beijing launched in 2016.

The role will also see Charlotte head up Manchester Airport’s brand management and work with the airport’s Runway Visitor Park on event and visitor marketing.

She joins the airport at a busy time with work continuing at pace on the airport’s £1bn transformation, and two long-haul route launches with Jet Airways beginning flights to Mumbai in November and Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Ababa in December.

Patrick Alexander, Head of Marketing at Manchester Airport, said: “I am delighted to have Charlotte join us at what is a very busy and exciting time at the airport. The success of Hainan Airlines’ direct flights from Manchester to Beijing is evident in our recently launched China Dividend Report so Charlotte’s work with marketing and Chinese social media is incredibly important.”