Manchester Airport has busiest day of the year ahead of Easter getaways

Manchester Airport has experienced its busiest day of 2025 so far as it gears up to serve around 1.7 million passengers during the Easter holidays from 4th to 21st April.

Friday 4th April saw 107,000 passengers travel through the UK’s global gateway in the North, with those numbers are set to be equalled or even topped on Friday 11th and Monday 14th April, as families get away on an Easter break.

The most popular destinations this April include holiday hotspots like Alicante, Antalya, Tenerife and Mallorca, as well as city break favourites like Amsterdam, Dublin, Paris and Barcelona. Making up the top 10 destinations are Dubai and Doha, thanks to their connections to long-haul destinations like Australia, New Zealand and in the Far East.

In preparation for the increase in passenger numbers, Manchester Airport has put extra staff in place across all areas, including its resilience team, which is trained in a range of roles and can step in if issues arise. So far this year, 98% of passengers have waited 15 minutes or less to get to security, which means they are able to get to the departure lounges more quickly and relax ahead of their flights.

Jennifer Byrne-Smith, Manchester Airport’s Customer Operations Director, said:

“Here at Manchester Airport we’re proud to connect the North to the World and we have an exciting summer ahead of us. We are concluding our 10-year transformation programme that has created a world-class passenger experience in Terminal 2 and are celebrating a host of new routes and more flights than ever before to our most popular holiday hotspots.

“The Easter holidays mark the start of the busiest time of year for us so we’re well prepared and ready to deliver a great experience for our passengers.“

And with the influx of passengers expected, the airport has also shared a number of tips to make for a smooth journey through the its terminals. Jennifer Byrne-Smith continued:

“There are some things passengers can do themselves both before they come to the airport and while they’re here to make sure they have a stress-free trip.  

“That starts right when you’re booking your trip – think about when you want to travel and whether you could get a bargain and come to the airport at a quieter time by travelling outside the school holidays or checking to see if your children’s school holidays fall outside the normal dates, as is often the case for Manchester schools during the May half term. 

“Make sure you pack as light as you can and roll your clothes up rather than folding them as this saves valuable space and could mean you can travel with hand baggage rather than hold baggage and save you money.  

“And take advantage of everything we offer here at Manchester Airport. That includes using day-before bag drop services, booking your parking if you need it – or making use of the fact that we’re the only airport in the country with a dedicated train, tram and bus station – arranging free assistance if you have mobility needs or other disabilities, and, if you want to really elevate your time at the airport, booking one of our premium lounges. 

“We also have out Little Flyers Zone in Terminal 1, which has a play area for younger travellers and a range of activities over the Easter holidays. 

“We’re looking forward to welcoming you if you’re travelling this summer and to helping you start your holidays here at Manchester Airport.”