Manchester airport is projecting a 22% surge in passengers over the festive period.
The airport expects a record Christmas, handling 640,125 travellers over the peak period between December 23 and January 2.
The forecast follows a 15.2% rise in passenger numbers in November to more than 220,000 year-on-year.
The busiest individual days over Christmas will be December 23 and 30 plus January 2, as people jet away on holiday and fly home for Christmas.
The top destinations are Dublin, Tenerife, Dubai, Amsterdam, Paris, Alicante, Malaga, Lanzarote, Abu Dhabi and Geneva.
The airport is advising passengers to take careful consideration about what they put in their hand-luggage before they get to the airport to avoid Christmas presents being confiscated.
Many popular stocking fillers breach security regulations, typically because they contain liquids, and passengers may be asked to leave items behind if they are not compliant.
Head of security Andrew Proudlove said: “Winter weather fashion has a surprisingly big impact on airport security, slowing down the screening process and causing avoidable extra waiting times, which is why we are issuing this advice.
“Our advice is to take off your coats, extra layers, big boots, scarves and hats when you are in the security queue itself so you can put it straight in the tray for screening.
“When it comes to what you can and can’t pack in your hand luggage, the rules are exactly the same at Christmas as they are for the rest of the year.
“However, at this festive time of year passengers often travel with gifts of more unusual items, which unwittingly do not comply with the rules. If in doubt, check with your airline first and put it in your suitcase for the hold, rather than your hand luggage.
“Safety and security is always our number one priority, so to help passengers avoid having Christmas treats confiscated and to prevent queues, we’re just reiterating how everyone can help us to help them.
“We dislike queues just as much as anyone else – and we certainly don’t want to ruin anyone’s Christmas by confiscating prohibited gifts.”
Manchester Airport Group owned East Midlands airport saw a fall in passenger traffic, owing to a series of weekend runway closures throughout November. Passenger numbers fell by 16.1% in, but the figures were still ahead of target for the month.
Bournemouth airport suffered an 11.5% fall in traffic owing to Flybe’s withdrawal since this time last year.