In figures reported by owners, Manchester Airport Group, 17.4 million passengers travelled from Manchester Airport, setting a new record for the airport, in the six months up to the end of September 2019. This figure equates to a 4.8% growth in passenger numbers compared to the same period last year.
The Manchester Airport Group, which also operates London Stansted and East Midlands airports, saw an overall 2% growth in passenger numbers driven by the success of its Northern hub. Figures at East Midlands airport declined 3.1% and were static at Stansted.
The group also reported revues rose by 7.3%, and pre-tax results climbing 18.9% to £186.7 million.
Despite the collapse of a number of airlines in recent years, including Monarch and Thomas Cook, Manchester Airport has been able to mitigate drops in passenger numbers through successfully backfilling capacity. Jet2.com, TUI and Virgin Atlantic are all committed to increasing operations at Manchester following Thomas Cook’s failure, with Jet2.com having done the same last year after the collapse of Monarch.
The airport has also announced a number of new long-haul routes to continue growing into 2020, including direct flights to Shanghai in China, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Amritsar in India. There will also be an increase in short-haul services to popular destinations and resorts, including in France, Italy and the Mediterranean.
An expansion to Terminal 2 is set to open next year to further improve capacity and passenger experience at Manchester Airport.