Manchester Airport welcomes 3.1 million passengers in best August to date

Manchester Airport achieved its best ever August last month with over 3.1 million passengers using its facilities.

The figure bumped the airport’s annual rolling total up to 7.4 million, a year-on-year increase of 12%.

The UK’s third-largest gateway recorded the busiest day in its 79-year history on Friday August 25, when over 112k travellers passed through its three terminals.

The five most popular destinations during the month were Palma, Alicante, Malaga, Tenerife and Ibiza.

Dubai and Orlando were among the most popular long-haul destinations.

Andrew Cowan, CEO of Manchester Airport, said: “The summer is always the busiest time of year for us and this year we’ve seen another strong month of growth. As well as the usual sunshine routes, we’ve also seen growth to the USA, Middle East and Far East.

“August was also a hugely significant month for our £1bn transformation programme. The opening of the new gating lounge is the first major milestone for the project and passengers will now start to see the demolition of the west side of Terminal Two during the coming weeks and months.”

He added: “It’s a hugely exciting time for the airport and as we come into autumn we continue to work with our airline partners to plot how we will continue to grow in 2018.”

Cargo handled during August, meanwhile, rose year on year by 22%, bringing the rolling annual tonnage to 122,702.

Earlier this month, Manchester Airport unveiled the first part of its £1bn transformation programme – a new temporary gate lounge for passengers to use while the west half of Terminal Two is demolished.