New record for passenger numbers at Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport saw a record number of passengers in the year ending March 31 2015, according to the latest figures.

Manchester Airports Group (M.A.G), which also operates East Midlands and Bournemouth airports, as well as London Stansted, revealed that passenger numbers at its Manchester site grew by 7.2% against the previous 12-month period to 22.3m, which is a new high for the facility.

The CEO of M.A.G, Charlie Cornish, said: “M.A.G has delivered a fifth consecutive year of strong growth, investment and development that has enabled us to exceed expectations across many of our key measures, including the delivery of industry-leading passenger numbers and trading performance.

“The success of M.A.G’s commercial and operational strategy is reflected in the fact that we have welcomed nearly 5m more passengers into our four airports and been able to offer them an increasingly diverse range of facilities, unparalleled choice of airlines and range of destinations that has taken them all over the world.”

Charlie added: “I am especially pleased with the performance of our two largest airports, Manchester and London Stansted, which are both currently enjoying robust growth and have bright futures ahead of them.”

The growth in passenger numbers at Manchester Airport drove increases in car parking, aviation and retail revenues, with the facility achieving a total revenue of £369.9m, a year-on-year rise of 10.5%. Now, the airport’s operator believes the site has ‘significant capacity’ for further growth in the future.

Manchester Airport offers access to the services of more than 60 airlines and over 200 destinations on short- and long-haul flights.

Last month, M.A.G revealed the £1bn Manchester Airport Transformation Programme, a 10-year phased project that plans to make 60 on-site enhancements and give the airport and its services a more modern look.