Manchester Airport flying high after passing 23 million passenger milestone
Since November 2014, 23 million passengers have used the airport, flying to more than 210 destinations across the globe.
They range from European cities like Dublin and Amsterdam to destinations popular with sun-seekers, including Tenerife, Palma and Alicante.
Passengers are also jetting off to an increasing number of long-haul locations, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Washington DC, New York, Miami and Dubai.
There has now been an increase in the number of people using the airport for 19 months consecutively, with five per cent growth in passenger numbers in the last year alone.
And further growth is predicted, with a number of key routes set to be launched in the coming months.
They include Los Angeles and Boston, with Thomas Cook Airlines, and Beijing, which was announced during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Manchester last month. That service, with Hainan Airlines, will start next June. All three services are the only direct scheduled flights to those destinations outside of London, further cementing Manchester Airport’s status as the Global Gateway from the North.
The most popular international destinations over the last 12 months were:
1. Dubai
2. Dublin
3. Amsterdam
4. Tenerife
5. Palma
6. Alicante
7. Malaga
8. Paris
9. Orlando
10. Faro
Ken O’Toole, Managing Director of Manchester Airport, said: “We are really pleased to have hit this significant milestone.
“Manchester Airport has never been busier and our continued growth is testament to the role we play in connecting people across the North to destinations in all four corners of the world.
“We have more than 22 million people living within two hours of Manchester Airport and our continued addition of new routes and increased frequencies is seeing both business and leisure customers choose Manchester, rather than other airports.
“Next year is set to be even busier for the airport
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with new routes to Beijing, Boston and Los Angeles all set to launch
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“With two full-length runways and a £1bn transformation program announced, Manchester Airport has, and will continue to have, the available capacity and demand to meet the needs of our catchment area and beyond.”
The 23 millionth passenger was easyJet customer Lucy Chaplin, 22, from Wakefield who received a wealth of prizes when she arrived for her flight to Geneva this morning. On the accolade she said: “I am absolutely delighted to be Manchester Airport’s 23 millionth passenger and what an incredible start to my flight with easyJet.”
Lucy received a pair of return tickets to Vienna from easyJet – the airline’s newest route from Manchester Airport, access to Manchester Airport’s Escape Lounge, plus FastTrack passes.
easyJet has recently announced new routes to Paris, Milan and Olbia from Manchester Airport
Ali Gayward, Commercial Manager, easyJet: “It’s great news that we are able to celebrate with easyJet passenger, Lucy Chaplin today who becomes Manchester Airport’s 23rd millionth passenger flown this year. It’s a fantastic milestone for the airport and we are delighted to be part of the growth story at the airport, working side by side with the airport.
“Next summer, we’ll add two extra aircraft to our Manchester fleet, taking the total number to 11 and also launch three new routes - Paris, Milan Malpensa and Olbia in Sardinia, taking the total number of destinations from Manchester to 44. Having just launched our inaugural flights to Vienna for this winter, we look forward to continuing to work with the airport in looking for future opportunities to open up new routes for our customers in the North West.”