Airport on course to hit 23 million passengers
PASSENGER numbers at Manchester Airport increased last month with 2.8% more people passing through than in May 2014 and is on course to break the 23 million barrier by 2016.
This was despite none of the North’s top football teams making it to the later stages of the European competitions.
A total of 2,093,391 people travelled through the airport in May, up from 2,036,410 in the same period last year.
It moves the rolling annual total to 22.4m, an increase of 6.21% year-on-year and the highest ever figure for Manchester Airport. Current forecasts are now indicating the airport will break the 23m mark by 2016.
The amount of air freight handled through Manchester also showed further strong growth, increasing for the fourth consecutive month, up 9.24% from 7,996 tonnes in May 2014 to 8,735 tonnes in the same period this year.
Airport managing director Ken O’Toole said: “We continue to invest in making sure Manchester Airport can fulfil its potential as a true UK gateway for the north of England, through investment in new facilities; marketing initiatives to remind people in our catchment of the services we offer; or working with airline partners to deliver more new routes.
“We’re well prepared for the busy summer season ahead and expect it to be our best and busiest ever.
“With over 22m people living within our two hour catchment, two full length runways and all-time record passenger numbers, Manchester Airport has, and will continue to have, the available capacity and demand to meet the needs of our catchment that extends as far north as Scotland and South to the Midlands.”
