Manchester and Stansted airports see busiest December on record
Manchester Airport achieved its busiest December on record with 2,022,905 passengers flying through the Northern hub during the month.
It is the first time the airport has ever served more…
Manchester Airport achieved its busiest December on record with 2,022,905 passengers flying through the Northern hub during the month.
It is the first time the airport has ever served more than 2m passengers in December, with record numbers using it to make sure they were able to spend the festive period with loved ones, enjoy a city break or to escape the British weather for a bit of winter sun.
December was the third consecutive month that passenger numbers outstripped pre-pandemic (2019) levels.
The top three routes for the month were Dublin, Amsterdam and Dubai, all of which saw more than 90,000 passengers flying to them. Five Finnish airports also saw bumper numbers with more than 30,000 people heading to the Scandinavian country, many of whom will have been to see Santa in Lapland.
London Stansted also rounded off a strong passenger performance in 2023 by welcoming more than 2 million passengers in December.
The monthly total was an increase of 12.1% on the same month last year, and the busiest ever December recorded at the airport.
The total number of passengers that passed through the airport in 2023 reached 27.96million, up a fifth on 2022 – marking the third busiest year ever for London Stansted.
Chris Woodroofe, MD of Manchester Airport, said: “We’re here to serve the people of the North and we’re extremely proud to be able to do that.
“More than 2m people flying through the airport during December is a record for us and it shows that we’re giving the people of the region what they want via our extensive route network – offering choice unrivalled outside London. This is backed up by service levels that see the majority of passengers not having to queue to get to security.
“Hot on the heels of our best summer ever, we have now embarked on an epic 18 months of continued improvement – culminating when the second phase of the Manchester Airport transformation programme completes in 2025. At this point, our brand-new, award-winning Terminal 2 will serve the majority of our passengers.
“Between now and then, though, we have a whole host of new announcements and developments for people to look forward to; from exciting new routes to the opening of a stellar new range of retailers, bars and restaurants.
“So, whether you’re travelling from Liverpool to Las Vegas, Bradford to Beijing or Carlisle to Cairo, 2024 promises to be another exciting year here at Manchester Airport.”
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