MANCHESTER Airport has this week passed the 23 million passenger mark, making it the busiest twelve month period in the airport’s 77-year history.
In June 2015, Manchester Airport bosses unveiled a ten-year £1bn transformation investment in order to double airport capacity...
Manchester is the UK’s third largest airport, behind London Heathrow, which recorded 73.4m passengers in 2014, and London Gatwick, which recorded its busiest year on record in June 2015 with 38.7 million passengers.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the number of passengers passing through UK airports are continuing to break records with both Q2 figures (67 million) and twelve month rolling totals (247 million) the highest since records began.
Manchester Airport now serves over 210 destination with 70 airlines, including new and direct flights to LA, Boston and Beijing - announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit in October.
MANCHESTER’S TOP 10 MOST POPULAR DESTINATIONS:
1. Dubai
2. Dublin
3. Amsterdam
4. Tenerife
5. Palma
6. Alicante
7. Malaga
8. Paris
9. Orlando
10. Faro
Manchester Airport's 23rd million passenger Lucy Chaplin with easyJet crewKen O’Toole, Managing Director of Manchester Airport, said:
“We are really pleased to have hit this significant milestone. Manchester Airport has never been busier and our continued growth is testament to the role we play in connecting people across the North to destinations in all four corners of the world.
“We have more than 22 million people living within two hours of Manchester Airport and our continued addition of new routes and increased frequencies is seeing both business and leisure customers choose Manchester, rather than other airports.”
In June 2015, Manchester Airport bosses unveiled a ten-year £1bn transformation investment in order to double airport capacity.
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said at the time: "Greater Manchester and the rest of the North West is increasingly competing on an international stage and an airport that is better suited to serving these global aspirations will significantly improve the impact the region can have in attracting inward and outward investment, helping it to realise its full economic potential and create further jobs and opportunities."
During his state visit, President Xi Jinping also announced the launch of a new £130m 'China Cluster' - to provide a commercial base for Chinese businesses - within Manchester Airport's proposed £800m Airport City scheme.
