While it didn't go into details, Emirates has said Manchester is its 2nd highest O&D market in the world after London. It beat places such as New York, Manilla and Paris.
Not a bad accolade to have, and shows MAN-DXB really isn't just about accessing the DXB hub.
In terms of Etihad, Manchester is apparently 3rd behind London and Manama for pure O&D traffic too.
Who would have thought it!