Manchester Airport records busiest day since 2019

Football fans heading to Istanbul for the Champions League Final saw Friday 9th June become the busiest day for Manchester Airport since 2019.

The Northern hub handled more than 100,000 passengers in a single day for the first time since the 19th September 2019, buoyed by a large number of Manchester City fans heading to see the team triumph over Inter Milan. More than 40 additional flights for football fans were put on in the lead up to match day to accommodate for the extra demand.

Despite the increase in traffic through the airport, security queuing times remained low with 96.6% of passengers getting through into the departure lounge in 15 minutes or less.

The boost came on the back of a busy May, with traffic up 15.5% compared to May 2022, as Manchester Airport – the UK’s global gateway in the North – looks towards a successful summer.

Newly published data shows Manchester Airport’s performance continuing to improve year-on-year with 2,505,177 passengers coming through in May, up 15.5% and taking the rolling 12-month total of passengers to almost 26million.

The month included the half term getaway which saw 851,000 passengers fly from or to the airport between Friday, 19 May, and Sunday, 28 May.

Chris Woodroofe, managing director of Manchester Airport, said:

“Football is such an important part of life for many people so it was a real privilege for all of us at Manchester Airport to be able to help thousands of fans get out to Istanbul smoothly and share in an unforgettable experience.

“As the UK’s global gateway in the North we play a key role in making sure that people in the region can get to major global events like the Champions League final. It shows that we’re ready for a successful summer and that people can feel confident they’ll get a great experience at the airport as they start their holidays.

“Passenger numbers increasing year-on-year shows the importance of international travel to people in the area so whether you’re heading to Palma for a family holiday or jetting off to Dubai on business you’ll get the best start to your journey here at the airport.”