Manchester Airport sees passenger numbers exceed pre-pandemic levels

Manchester Airport welcomed more than 2.6 million travellers to its terminals in October 2023, marking the first month to have overtaken pre-pandemic passenger numbers.

Latest passenger numbers data from the airport reveals Manchester Airport, the UK’s third busiest, has so far served over 27.5 million flyers, and its October performance was up 13.5% on the same time in 2022. Despite the end of the summer peak period for travel, increased popularity of travel to Dubai, as well as European cities like Dublin, Amsterdam and Paris, has help drive numbers beyond their pre-pandemic levels.

Data from the airport also shows 99.3% of passengers passed through security in under 15 minutes during October, while a customer survey of those travelling in July and August found 93% rated their experience of the airport as ‘good’, ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.

 Managing Director of Manchester Airport, Chris Woodroofe, said: 

“At Manchester Airport we’re proud to connect the North to the world and this data shows just how important international travel is to people in our region.

“Whether you’re heading for culture on the continent, a beach break in Barbados or business in New York, we have you covered with more flights to more destinations than any airport outside London. 

“I’m really pleased to see passenger numbers recover beyond their pre-pandemic levels. But what’s even more important to me is the fact that we’re delivering a great service to all those who are passing through the airport, with 99.3% of our passengers queuing in security for under 15 minutes. 

“That means our passengers can start their holidays at the airport – knowing that rather than in queues, they will get to spend their time enjoying the world class facilities in our departure lounges. 

“We’ve achieved a huge amount to get to this point but we’re not stopping here. We’ve got big plans for the future including the continued transformation of Terminal 2, which has now entered its second phase and will be complete in 2025, the introduction of a number of new routes for next year including Las Vegas and the announcement of a number of new food, drink and retail offerings in our terminals. We really do have an epic 18 months ahead of us.” 

Work continues to progress on the £1.3 billion Manchester Airport Transformation Programme, with the redevelopment of Terminal 2 in its second phase. A tender process for 27 new restaurants, cafes, bars, shops and more in Terminal 2 is ongoing and the successful bidders will be announced in 2024. Work on the Manchester Airport Transformation Programme will complete in 2025, at which point the vast majority of passengers flying from the airport will use the new terminal and Terminal 1 will close.