Passenger numbers soar at airport
Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) has cause for a double celebration with the latest figures showing an increase in passenger throughput and the travel hub achieving one of the industry’s best scheduled flight punctuality records during 2017.
Last year some 4.95 million passengers used the airport, with more than 125,000 more passengers choosing to use Liverpool – an increase of almost 3%, compared to 2016 and its highest annual figures since 2011.
In addition, the Punctuality League – a report published by OAG, the air travel intelligence company, shows that Liverpool has the seventh best record in the world for scheduled flight on time performance when compared to airports of a similar size. When compared to airports of all sizes across the world, LJLA was placed 13th overall.
This is great news for the growing numbers of passengers who choose to fly from Liverpool, reassured to know that whilst the airport becomes busier it has been able to ensure that as many flights as possible continue to operate on time.
Highlights in 2017 included the start of Blue Air’s base at Liverpool and the introduction of new year-round services to Rome, Milan and Alicante.
Other new services to a range of European cities included Venice with easyJet, and Prague, Bari and Girona with Ryanair, whilst TUI started Summer holiday flights to Ibiza from Liverpool too.
Last year the airport also completed the latest phase of development work aimed at further improving the customer experience for departing passengers with the introduction of a number of new retail brands including Dixons and Accessorize, new shops, bars and restaurants and more than £4.5m invested in the refurbishment and upgrade of approximately 22,000sq ft of the upper floor of the airport’s departure lounge.
Other improvements have also included new and improved stores for existing retailers, completely new washroom facilities, large flight information screens, new seating and new lighting to create a lighter and brighter passenger environment.
The latest phase of improvement works are nearing completion with the expansion and redesign of the existing World Duty Free shop with a broader range of products and brands available including MAC and Jo Malone.
Mark Povall, strategy director for LJLA said: “2017 has been another great year for the airport with even more passengers choosing to take advantage of the convenience of flying from here with Liverpool now seen as the Faster, Easier, Friendlier Airport of choice for passengers from across the region.
“To achieve such high levels of on time performance once again whilst giving a growing number of passengers an even better passenger experience is a real credit to everyone who works at the Airport and an achievement that we are all proud of.”
“We expect 2018 to be even busier with easyJet basing another aircraft at Liverpool from July onwards. Everyone will be working hard to deliver a great customer experience at the same time as continuing to push for more new routes from both existing and potential new carriers.”
