- Manchester Airport passenger numbers near flat in May
- 0.5pc growth follows decline of 2.5pn in April and growth rates of 0.9pc in March, 2.1pc in February and 5.9pc in January.
- Manchester Airport Group handled 66.3 million passengers in the year to 31 March.
- Growth stood at 1.9pc compared with 6pc in the previous year.
- Manchester Airport saw 3.6pc growth to 32.3 million passengers.
- Pre-tax profits rose 4.5pc to €265 million.
Manchester airport passenger numbers for May were 2,930,308, up 0.5pc on 2025 and 10.9pc on pre-pandemic. Rolling annual was 32,189,846,, up 2.2pc on the twelve months to May 2025.
It follows a decline of 2.5pn in April and growth rates of 0.9pc in March, 2.1pc in February and 5.9pc in January.
Manchester Airport Group reported passenger growth of 1.9pc to 66.3 million for the year to 31 March. London Stansted and Manchester Airport Group has seen a drop in passenger growth amid pressures on air travel. Manchester Airport recorded growth of 3.6pc to 32.3 million passengers.
London Stansted saw passenger numbers increase by 0.4pc while East Midlands experienced a 1.3pc decline. Pre-tax profits for the group rose 4.5pc to €265 million in the year to the end of March as revenues increased 12.8pc. The group achieved new records for Manchester and London Stansted, with the latter entering the 30 million club.
Manchester Airport Group shared “Despite heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty, Manchester Airport Group has demonstrated resilience and momentum, delivering strong results while continuing to invest for long-term growth and value creation for its stakeholders. The passenger growth Manchester Airport Group has seen, much like the overall resilience of the sector, reflects the fundamental desire people have to travel and the resulting growth it creates for individuals, businesses, regions and nations.”
Figures for 2025
Manchester Airport has continued its strong post-pandemic recovery in 2025, 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.
