Manchester Airport ends 2024 with record-breaking December

Manchester Airport recorded its busiest December on record with 2.2 million passengers flying into or out of the North’s global gateway in the final month of 2024.

The month smashed the previous record set in December 2023 by 10% with the busiest day coming on Sunday, December 29, when just under 89,000 people passed through the airport. And despite the record-breaking numbers, 98% of passengers queued for 15 minutes or less to get to security with three quarters of passengers waiting less than five minutes.

The most popular destination during December was Amsterdam with more than 110,000 passengers flying to or from the Dutch capital. Amsterdam was followed by Dubai, which is always boosted by large numbers of people who use the Middle Eastern hub to connect to destinations like Australia and others across Asia and Africa.

Latest performance figures for the airport come as Manchester Airport enters an exciting year during which its £1.3 billion decade-long transformation programme will be completed.

Later on this year the airport’s brand-new Terminal 2 will fully open meaning the majority of passengers will use the state-of-the-art facility. The first phase of the new terminal opened in 2022. The second phase will double the size of the terminal and includes the addition of more than 25 new shops, bars and restaurants including Chanel, a Lego Store and the airport’s first Wetherspoon’s pub. It will also add a new security hall, additional check in desks and an art installation made out of one of the airport’s iconic chandeliers.

Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said:

“December is always an exciting month at the airport. We’re proud to connect the North and our vital role is never more clear-cut than when we’re helping tens of thousands of people to be reunited with their loved ones for the festive period.

“We smashed our December record with 2.2m passengers coming through the airport. It’s particularly pleasing that the vast majority of those passengers – just over three quarters – waited for five minutes or less to get to security.

“It comes at the end of our busiest year on record with more than 30m passengers flying into or out of Manchester Airport – and it sets us up for a truly epic 2025.

“This year will be the most exciting in the airport’s history as we complete our £1.3bn transformation programme. I cannot wait to welcome passengers into the second phase of our brand-new Terminal 2. When it opens later this year the majority of our passengers get to benefit from an airport terminal that rivals any across Europe.

“We’ve also got lots of other exciting plans for the year, including news about Terminals 1 and 3 that we’ll be announcing soon, and we look forward to welcoming even more passengers to the UK’s global gateway in the North.”