MAG airports set annual 65m passenger record

Manchester Airports Group handled a record 65 million passengers in the year to March.

Driven by growth at Manchester and Stansted, the total was up 6.1% on the previous 12 months.

MAG – which also operates East Midlands airport - had throughout of 4.7 million passengers last month, up 7.8% on the same last year - another record.

The figures compare with Heathrow handling a reduced level of 6.2 million travellers in March as it was forced to shut for 10 hours one day in the month due to an off site power outage.  

Manchester airport handled 31 million passengers in the 12 months to March, with 29 million using Stansted.

Stansted served 2.3 million passengers in March, up 7.5% on the same month last year. Manchester airport handled 2.2 million – an increase of 10.4% year-on-year.

East Midlands airport served more than four million passengers in the 12 months to March.

More than 99% of passengers across the group passing through security in 15 minutes or less during the month. The figure was 100%, while at Stansted and East Midlands Airport it was 99%.

MAG chief executive Ken O’Toole said: “I am proud of how our airports continue to perform, offering passengers a wide choice of destinations and high levels of service when they travel.

“It is pleasing to see that focus on choice, value and service proving popular with passengers and translating into these record-breaking numbers.

“Our performance is testament to the hard work from colleagues right across MAG, and I thank them for their ongoing commitment.

“With more than £2.5 billion of investment planned across MAG over the coming years, I look forward to unveiling our transformations that will further enhance the passenger experience and drive increased regional and national economic growth.”