Manchester Airport ‘actively’ pursuing more Asia connections

Manchester Airport is “actively looking” to add more flights to Asia after disclosing record passenger numbers on routes to the region.

More than 520,000 passengers travelled on direct flights between the northwest hub and connections in east and southeast Asia in 2025 – dwarfing the record of 363,000 set the previous year.

The figures for last year also represent a five-fold increase since 2013, the year that the Manchester China Forum was established, when a just 90,000 passengers travelled on direct flights to the region.

Since then, Hainan Airlines and Juneyao Air have established flights from Manchester to Beijing and Shanghai respectively. Both raised their capacity in 2025, with up to three flights a day now operating between Manchester and China. 

Singapore Airlines – which marks the 40th anniversary of flying to Manchester this year – operates a direct flight five days a week.

Last year’s figures were boosted by Norse Atlantic starting the first service between Manchester and Bangkok in November.

Airport chief commercial officer Stephen Turner said: “To top half a million passengers travelling to the region for the first time is an outstanding achievement but speaks to the quality of the product we’re now able to offer in our award-winning Terminal 2, as we reach the end of a decade-long £1.3 billion programme of investment.

“We have no intention of standing still and we’re eager to continue our growth in this market – we know there is also still huge demand for travel to other countries and cities in the region and we are actively looking to add new routes to our network.

“For now though, I’d like to thank everyone who has chosen Manchester as their starting point for a trip to the region in the past year, and to wish everyone celebrating a very happy Year of the Horse.”