Summer holidays to see 5 million passengers travel through Manchester Airport

More than 5 million passengers are expected to pass through Manchester Airport over the school summer holidays, delivering the busiest summer yet for the North’s global gateway.

Passengers travelling during the summer will be able to benefit from a range of new features at the airport which have opened in time for summer getaways. These include new check-in desks, a new security hall, new scanners and new shops and bars in place in its £1.3 billion Terminal 2.

Since the start of April, which is generally considered to be the start of the summer season, 97% of Manchester Airport’s passengers have waited for less than 10 minutes to get to security and 84% have waited less than five minutes. Airport bosses expect this to continue during the summer getaway, with more staff in place than normal across key areas of the airports at busy times.

To make for a smoother process, passengers are also reminded to familiarise themselves with new developments at the airport, including its new barrierless drop-off system, as well as other rules regarding luggage allowances, check-in guidance, such as whether you can check-in luggage the night before your flight, and whether you need pre-book any assistance needs.

Manchester Airport Customer Services Director Jennifer Byrne-Smith said:

“We’re proud to connect the people of the North to the world – and in the summer that means helping people get away on their holidays.

“It’s a really exciting time at the airport – there’s a real buzz in the air and the excitement is infectious – but we know the airport can also be quite a daunting place, especially when it’s busy.

“That’s why we’ve shared some hints and tips to help make life easier for people. The main thing is just to plan your visit to the airport in advance – from your travel to get here, being ready at security, and packing entertainment for children.

“We’ve invested more than £1.3bn in transforming Manchester Airport over the last ten years – and that programme is almost complete. Passengers this year will really notice all the benefits of it, especially if they’re travelling from our new, state-of-the-art Terminal 2.

“And if people follow our advice they’ll really be able to enjoy those benefits and really feel like their holidays start at Manchester Airport.”

The summer season always sees a rise in the popularity of traditional holiday hotspots around the Mediterranean. This year, for the first time, the Turkish city of Antalya is expected to be the most popular short and medium haul destination served by Manchester Airport this summer, which highlights Turkey’s continued growing popularity among British holidaymakers. For those travelling further afield, Orlando and New York in the US are predicted to be the busiest long-haul destinations, in line with the growing trend of increased Stateside traffic from Manchester Airport.