Focus Travel Partnership is delighted to announce a landmark strategic agreement with Manchester Airport, marking the first formal collaboration of its kind between an airport operator and a UK travel consortium.
The partnership strengthens the commercial alignment between Focus TMC Partners and the UK’s third largest airport, and it will help to enhance operational insight and joint initiatives designed to elevate the business traveller experience and support the ever-evolving needs of SME TMCs and their diverse client base.
As part of the partnership launch, Manchester Airport hosted a dedicated behind the scenes operational tour for some frontline Focus TMC teams and members of the Focus central team. The visit provided hands-on insight into the airport processes, future development plans, their private terminal – aether, and how this new collaboration will deliver tangible benefits to Focus TMCs and Suppliers.
The announcement follows the recent industry-celebrated Focus Partners Conference where Robert Smith, Aviation Director at Manchester Airport, delivered a concise presentation outlining the group’s strategy, growth plans and benefits of deeper collaboration with the travel management sector.
Emily Lockwood, Travel Trade Manager at Manchester Airport commented: “I’m thrilled that we have recently partnered with Focus Travel Partnership. Since stepping into my role as Travel Trade Manager, my priority has been to build strong, collaborative relationships across the travel trade to support our growth. Focus stood out as a natural partner – proactive, positive, and incredibly supportive from the outset.
Our dedicated Focus Extranet page now gives Focus Partners quick and easy access to the latest updates from across our Travel Trade Community, and we’re excited to engage with the fantastic TMCs that Focus has close relationships with. It was a pleasure to welcome some of the Focus team to Manchester Airport, and I very much enjoyed attending the recent Focus Partners Conference. We’re already looking forward to meeting the frontline teams at the Champs Conference next year.”
Dani Ives, Head of Commercial at Focus Travel Partnership, said: “We’re excited to officially launch this partnership with Manchester Airport. It represents a major step forward in diversifying our offering to our business travel community, creating new opportunities to align commercially and share potential for increased revenue and insights, and we believe it will open the door to deeper cooperation across the airport network.”
About Focus Travel Partnership
Focus Travel Partnership is the leading UK business travel consortium for the independent and SME sector and represents 48 TMC Partners with a total turnover of over £1.2 billion. Focus leverages the latest technology platforms and a comprehensive range of services to support its TMC Partners, enabling them to future-proof their businesses. The collective size and buying power of the partnership, along with its long-established industry leading corporate air programme, enables Focus to negotiate the best possible deals with suppliers across all sectors. The continued growth and strength of the partnership through TMC Partner membership, supplier base, and buy-in from all major global airlines, is currently unmatched by any other UK consortium. For more information, please visit https://focustravel.uk/
For further media information please contact: Joanne Emerson, Head of Marketing & Events / e: JoanneE@Focustravel.uk / t: 0203 978 4942
Robert Smith, Aviation Director, presenting at the Focus Partners Conference