More routes and winter sunseekers boost airport

PASSENGER numbers continued to grow at Manchester Airport in January as holidaymakers headed to the ski slopes or sought winter sun.

In January 1.415 million people used the airport, an increase of 7.8% on the same month in 2015. Popular destinations included Dubai, Palma and Tenerife.

The rolling annual total at the country’s third-biggest airport is now 23,218,662.

Airport bosses believe the year-on-year increase is also due to the fact there are now flights to more destinations than ever before in the airport’s 78 year history.

Managing director Ken O’Toole said: “January is usually a quieter month following the busy Christmas period however the increase in passenger numbers this January highlights that more people have opted to take a post-Christmas break.

“Popular routes during the month included long haul favourites, like Dubai, as people sought out some sun. We expect February to be a busy month also as couples jet off on romantic weekend breaks to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Plus half term sees many families hitting the slopes across Europe.”

Manchester Airport has already announced several new routes for 2016, including direct flights to Beijing, China, with Hainan Airlines and flights to Boston and Los Angeles, USA, with Thomas Cook Airlines. The routes make Manchester the only airport outside of London to offer direct services to these destinations.

Ken O’Toole added: “Connecting the North to the rest of the world is our priority as we continue to significantly strengthen our route network. With a large catchment area and northern based businesses booming, the more attractive it is to airlines to add a new flight from Manchester.”

Air freight was also up by almost 3% in January 2016, compared to the same period last year, with 7,200 tonnes carried during the month.

This increase took the total amount of cargo carried for the 2015 calendar year to 103,922 tonnes – an increase of 10.3% compared to the 12 months of 2014.