Manchester Airport officially joins 30 Million Club after record-breaking year

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Manchester Airport has reached a major milestone by recording 30m passengers in a year - putting it alongside some of the biggest airports in the world.

Reaching the milestone puts Manchester Airport in the so-called "30 Million Club" alongside major international airports like La Guardia, in New York, Melbourne Airport, in Australia, Hamad International Airport, in Doha, and Sabia Gokcen International Airport, in Istanbul.

Manchester boasts the most extensive route network of any UK airport outside London, with more than 200 destinations served - including several added in the last year like Shanghai with Juneyao Air, Las Vegas with Virgin Atlantic and Casablanca with Royal Air Maroc. The new routes have have proved popular, helping the airport reach the 30m passenger milestone.

More than 30.1m passengers flew into or out of Manchester Airport between the end of September 2023 and the end of September 2024. During that period the airport set monthly records in each individual month, paving the way to reach the 30m mark.

In September itself 3.05m passengers passed through the airport - up 8% on September 2023 - and 93% of those passengers waited less than 10 minutes to get to security.

Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said:

"We're proud to connect the North to the world - whether that's for holidays, to see family and friends or for business - and breaking through the 30m passenger barrier tells us we are giving people across the region great access to the places they want to travel to.

"It cements our position as the UK's global gateway in the North - the biggest airport outside London - and means we are rubbing shoulders with some of the best-known airports across Europe and the world. That means greater choice, value and flexibility for the people and businesses of the North.

"Hitting this milestone comes at a really exciting time, with our transformation programme set to be fully complete next year. It means we'll be welcoming passengers to an airport that rivals any in major capitals around Europe in its all-around look and feel, service, facilities and the destinations it serves.

"I'm proud of everything we've achieved in the last 12 months. We've had our busiest year yet but at the same time over 98% of our passengers waited less than 15 minutes to get to security. We've also been given a good rating by the Civil Aviation Authority for the service we provide to disabled passengers and seen more than 80% of our passengers tell us the service they receive from us is good, very good or excellent.

"I want to thank all my colleagues and partners across the whole airport and, of course, our passengers. Joining the 30 Million Club gives us a great platform to build on and I'm excited to see everything the next 12 months bring."

Airlines, tourist destinations, trade bodies and more have all welcomed the news that Manchester Airport has recorded 30m passengers in a year.

Dawn Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of TUI Airline.

"Partnering with an international airport of Manchester's status allows us to offer an incredible choice of destinations to customers in the North West. We fly to over 20 long, mid and short haul destinations including West Africa, Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico as well as all the top European beach hot spots.

"The scale of the programme we operate also generates employment in the region, with an energetic base team of cabin crew, pilots, engineers and ground staff as well as committed retail experts serving customers in 37 stores in the region."

"We're looking forward to continuing to work with the airport team to take millions more passengers on their dream holidays in the future."

Ali Gayward, easyJet UK country manager, said:

"This marks a major achievement for Manchester Airport and its continued commitment to growth and customer excellence. This new milestone is great news, not only for our customers from across the North West, offering them even greater choice and connectivity, but also for the benefit it provides to the region's dynamic economy.

"easyJet employs over 1,000 people at the airport and hundreds more indirectly, having operated a base from the airport for over 16 years. We are pleased to have played our part in contributing to this achievement and are excited to continue working with Manchester in the future, providing our customers with more great value fares and friendly service."

Jade Kirwan, Ryanair's Head of Communications, Jade Kirwan said;

"As Manchester's No.1 airline, Ryanair congratulates the team at Manchester Airport on this significant milestone.

"30 million passengers in the last 12 months is a fantastic achievement - one that not only further strengthens Manchester's position on the international playing field but reaps economic benefits for the region also.

"Ryanair has proudly operated at Manchester for the past 37 years, investing heavily in the region with our 17 based aircraft representing a $1.7m investment and supporting over 6,200 local jobs, and driving important year-round traffic and tourism growth. We look forward to continuing our work with Manchester Airport and further supporting their growth in the years ahead."

Victoria Braddock, Managing Director at Marketing Manchester, said:

"Manchester Airport's record 30 million passengers over the last twelve months reflects the growing appeal of Greater Manchester as a visitor destination.

"Manchester Airport plays a vital role in connecting the region to destinations across the world and is a key driver to positioning Greater Manchester as a global Gateway to the North.

"This milestone highlights the opportunity to grow the visitor economy, which has continued to thrive and recover in recent years, welcoming international visitors from a wide range of destinations."

Joe Manning, Managing Director of MIDAS, Greater Manchester's Inward Investment Agency, said:

"Manchester Airport's record-breaking passenger numbers are a testament to the region's growing status as a global business destination. The increase in routes and connectivity has been instrumental in securing major international investments, including Roku, Safety Culture, S&P Global and BNY Mellon.

"The airport's direct routes to key global markets, particularly the strengthened connections to North America and Asia and frequent daily flights to areas of Europe have been a factor for many companies choosing Greater Manchester as their UK base.

"With over 200 destinations now accessible from Manchester, we're seeing increased interest from international businesses who value the ability to connect easily with their global operations. The connectivity, combined with our world-class talent pool, makes Greater Manchester exceptionally well placed to attract further inward investment."

Jennifer Cormack, sales and marketing director at Windermere Lake Cruises, said:

"This is a significant milestone not just for Manchester Airport but for the visitor economy in Cumbria and the whole North-West.

"Windermere Lake Cruises has made great efforts in recent years to increase the number of international travellers to our region as they are so important to our economy. They tend to stay longer and spend more than domestic visitors on local services and attractions. Our efforts to grow international tourism in the Lake District, Cumbria would not be possible without excellent and extensive airport services and we are lucky to have those.

"Manchester Airport's continued growth and development will help us attract more visitors from a growing range of countries. That will have a definite impact on jobs and prosperity here."

September is part of what is referred to as the 'shoulder season' in the travel industry - it is a time of year when flights are cheaper due to schools not being on holiday but weather in lots of traditional European hot-spots is still very good. It means destinations like Mallorca and Turkey have proved popular with sun seeking bargain hunters.

Manchester Airport's most popular destinations during September were:

1. Palma de Mallorca - 105,987

2. Dalaman (Turkey) - 89,919

3. Dubai - 89,269

4. Antalya (Turkey) - 89,269

5. Amsterdam - 88,697

6. Alicante - 87,079

7. Dublin - 84,876

8. Tenerife - 78,330

9. Malaga - 63,727

10. Faro (Portugal) - 58,596

Manchester Airport's transformation programme will be completed in 2025. When it is finished more than 70% of its passengers will use the brand-new Terminal 2. The first half of the new Terminal opened in 2021 and the second is on track to open next year.

Last month airport announced a range of new shops and food and drink outlets - including a dedicated Chanel beauty outlet, a Lego Store, Pandora, a JD Wetherspoon pub and the Great Northern Market Hall - that will operate in the second phase of Terminal 2.

As part of the project Terminal 1 will close and the number of airlines operating from Terminal 3 will be reduced to make the new terminal the heartbeat of the airport. A number of airlines have already moved from Terminals 1 and 3 and more will move over the coming months.

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