Manchester Airport has continued its strong post-pandemic recovery, recording its busiest year ever with 32,088,626 passengers passing through its terminals in 2025. This represents a 4pc increase on 2024 and marks the first time the airport has exceeded 32m passengers in a single year.
The growth was particularly evident in the final months of 2025, with December seeing a record 2.4m passengers — a 6pc rise on December 2024 and the airport’s busiest December on record. A strong Christmas period, with over 1m travellers, contributed significantly to this performance.
Early 2026 has maintained the positive momentum. Manchester Airport handled over 2m passengers in January 2026 (a 5.5pc increase year-on-year), helping the wider Manchester Airports Group (MAG) achieve a record 4.1m passengers across its three airports that month.
The sustained rise in traffic reflects robust demand for both leisure and long-haul routes, new airline services, and Manchester’s role as England’s leading airport outside London. Passenger numbers have now comfortably surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with the airport cementing its position as the third busiest in England behind Heathrow and Gatwick.
Ongoing investments in terminal facilities and route expansion continue to support this growth, positioning Manchester Airport as a key global gateway for the North of England.
