Record-breaking passenger levels as airport gears up for big influx

Terminal Two at Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport has recorded its best January passenger traffic figures in its history.

The North West gateway saw 1.8 million passengers use the airport last month, and is gearing up for its first big holiday period in the midst of the half term break, when it is expecting to handle almost 700,000 passengers.

Airport chiefs also reported that queues in its security areas have reduced, with 99.9% of passengers queueing for less than 15 minutes, while nine out of 10 passengers waited for less than five minutes, latest figures show.

In April, 2022, Manchester Airports Group CEO, Charlie Cornish, apologised to passengers for the severe disruption, resulting in huge queues at security, in the wake of international travel opening up once again following the impact of the pandemic.

The airport said the record January figures was the second consecutive record-breaking month, which had its busiest December yet.

Dubai was the most popular destination for travellers in January, with winter sun seekers heading there either to enjoy its attractions or to connect to other far-flung destinations.

February is set to be a busier month at the airport with half term for many schools starting this week. Almost 700,000 passengers are expected between Friday, February 9 and Sunday, February 18, with the most popular destinations set to include Tenerife and Alicante.

Manchester Airport Managing Director, Chris Woodroofe, said: “We’re preparing for a really exciting year at Manchester Airport. We have a range of new routes launching, including Las Vegas from June and others still to be announced. We’re also continuing work on our award winning Terminal 2 as we reach the final stages of our £1.3bn transformation programme.”

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