Manchester Airport serves more than 2 million passengers in April
- 2.2million passengers flew to or from Manchester Airport during April - up 15% compared to April 2022
- Dubai was the most popular destination in April but data for the first week of May shows more people heading to Alicante’s beaches
- Queuing times remained low with 96% of passengers getting through security in under 15 minutes
Holiday season is underway and Manchester Airport is set for a successful summer after a bumper Easter getaway got April off to a flying start for the northern hub.
Newly released data from the airport shows 2.2million passengers flew to or from the airport in April - a 15% increase on April last year.
Despite the increase, queuing times at security remained low with 96% of passengers getting through in under 15 minutes – and 100% of people getting through in under 30 minutes.
The most popular destination in April was Dubai – with almost 88,000 people flying to the Middle Eastern city, an increase of more than 31,000 compared to April last year. Belfast and the Turkish city of Antalya also saw big increases in traffic, recording increases of 13,000 and 12,000 respectively.
Data for the first week of May is showing a shift in passenger trends with Alicante jumping into the number one slot, leapfrogging Dublin and Dubai as people head to the beach.
Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said:
“It was really pleasing to kick April off by delivering a hugely successful Easter, during which more than 300,000 people flew to a wide range of destinations, reflecting the excellent choice we are able to offer as the UK’s global gateway in the North.
“It is great to see passenger volumes continue to grow, and to have been able to provide all those travelling through Manchester Airport with a great level of service.
“That means we are going into the peak summer season ready for passengers to see the airport at its best.
“We want passengers’ holidays to begin at the airport and we’re confident that will be the case this summer – with the vast majority of people breezing through security in under 15 minutes and getting the opportunity to relax and enjoy the world-leading restaurants and shops in our terminals.”
During April 2,176,450 passengers flew from or to Manchester Airport. The month included the Easter getaway which saw 305,000 passengers fly between Friday, 7 April, and Monday, 10 April.
Manchester Airport has welcomed more than 2,000 new members of staff since last April. That includes our new resilience team, made up of more than 100 team members who are trained in a variety of roles across the airport so that they can be deployed to help wherever issues occur, including at check-in and with baggage handling.
Manchester Airport is part of Manchester Airport Group (MAG), which also runs East Midlands and London Stansted airports. 4.8 million passengers travelled through MAG airports in April – up 16.4% on 2022.