Manchester Airports Group reports record passenger totals

Manchester Airports Group (MAG), the UK’s largest airport operator, served a record 66.3 million passengers in the year to March 2026 across its three sites.

The total represents a 1.9% increase in passengers year-on-year across Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports, which the Group operates.

Despite disruption to its Middle East services, Manchester Airport handled 2.3 million passengers, a 1.1% increase on March 2025, and brought its rolling 12-month total to 32.3 million, up 3.6% year-on-year. 

London Stansted Airport saw a slight dip in travel in March due to conflict in the Middle East, also handling 2.3 million passengers in March, and a rolling 12 month total of 30 million, up 0.4% on 2025.

East Midlands Airport served more than 206,000 passengers, a 3.6% increase year-on-year, although its annual total declined 1.3%. The airport marked another positive cargo performance carrying more than 37,000 tonnes of cargo across the month, an increase of 6.2% year-on-year and the most of any of the Group’s airports.

Operational performance remained strong throughout the period across all three airports in the Group: London Stansted saw 100% of passengers passing through security in 15 minutes or less; at Manchester Airport the figure was 98%; and at East Midlands 99%.