Record-breaking October at Manchester Airport
A bumper October half-term helped Manchester Airport to its busiest October on record.
- 2.9m passengers flew into or out of Manchester Airport during October
- Late season breaks to Mediterranean favourites were popular – but a growing number of people sought out long-haul flights thanks to the airport’s unrivalled network
- The UK’s global gateway in the North has also given some top tips to help passengers get through security quickly
Almost 3m passengers passed through the UK’s global gateway in the North last month, up 2.1% on October 2025.
The busiest period of the month was half-term, when more than1m passengers travelled to seek out the last of the warm weather across some of Europe’s holiday hotspots.
That appetite for the last of the season’s sun is reflected in the month’s most popular destinations, which included Alicante, Tenerife, Mallorca and Antalya – but it also saw a rise in the popularity Dubai and Saudi Arabia, which are key connecting hubs and indicate an increase in long-haul connecting trips seeking out winter sun.
Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said:
“The October half-term always means it’s a busy month for us – it’s the last chance to grab some late summer sun in Europe’s classic holiday destinations.
“One of the great things about being the North’s biggest airport is that our route network means we offer choice, flexibility and value to passengers looking to get away at any point in the year.
“We’re now seeing an increase in the popularity of some of our longer-haul and connecting routes like those to middle eastern destinations including Qatar and Dubai which are not only popular destinations in their own right, but key connecting hubs for flights to places like Japan and Australia.
“Next month will see the resumption of flights to Bangkok – which will be going up to four-times-a-week this year and I know have been incredibly popular with our passengers since they launched last year.
“We’re also gearing up for the beginning of our festive services to Lapland and other Christmassy destinations in Europe, New York and more so it’s going to continue to be busy and exciting as we keep connecting the North to the world.”
During October, nine out of 10 passengers waited for ten minutes or less to get to security and the vast majority – over 70% - waited for five minutes or less.
But passengers due to travel over the next few months have been reminded to make sure they do their bit to keep security queues moving – particularly as the colder weather means passengers will arrive at the airport with more layers to take off.
Although passengers no longer have to remove electronic items or liquids below 100mls from their hand luggage, they do have to take off loose layers of clothing like jackets, coats and cardigans before they pass through the security scanners.
Here are the airport’s top tips for passing through security quickly:
1. Prepare for security before you reach the conveyor belts – that means being ready to take off loose layers like coats and jackets, being ready to take off your belt and any other metallic items
2. Don’t accidentally bring through any prohibited items – for example, liquids over 100mls are not allowed, nor are you allowed to carry more than one lighter, things like multi-tools are banned and so is anything that resembles a firearm or weapon
3. Liquids can be found in surprising places – lots of popular squishy toys are filled with more than 100mls of liquid (it’s worth noting that ‘liquids’ can include putties and gels) as are things like snow globes
4. As we move towards the festive season, don’t be tempted to travel with wrapped presents in your hand luggage – they will have to be unwrapped at security
5. Certain types of medical equipment can also be picked up by scanners meaning passengers may require and extra search. Things like stoma bags have to be inspected so if you are in this position it is worth raising this with a member of staff as you approach security
Passengers are also being reminded of the importance of checking their travel arrangements to the airport ahead of their flights. Seasonal weather can cause disruption on public transport and the road network at this time of year.
There is also a planned closure of the airport station on Sunday, 6 December.