Manchester Airport joins 30 Million Club after record-breaking year

This achievement puts the airport in the so-called ‘30 Million Club’ alongside major international airports like La Guardia in New York, Melbourne Airport in Australia, Hamad International Airport in Doha, and Sabia Gokcen International Airport in Istanbul.

Manchester boasts the most extensive route network of any UK airport outside London, serving more than 200 destinations.

Manchester Airport serves more than 200 destinations all over the world (Image: Supplied)

This includes several added in the last year like Shanghai with Juneyao Air, Las Vegas with Virgin Atlantic and Casablanca with Royal Air Maroc.

The new routes have proved popular, helping the airport reach the 30 million passenger milestone.

Manchester Airport managing director Chris Woodroofe said: “We’re proud to connect the North to the world - whether that’s for holidays, to see family and friends or for business.

“Breaking through the 30 million passenger barrier tells us we are giving people across the region great access to the places they want to travel to.

“It cements our position as the UK’s global gateway in the North – the biggest airport outside London – and means we are rubbing shoulders with some of the best-known airports across Europe and the world.

“That means greater choice, value and flexibility for the people and businesses of the North.

“Hitting this milestone comes at a really exciting time, with our transformation programme set to be fully complete next year.

“It means we’ll be welcoming passengers to an airport that rivals any in major capitals around Europe in its all around look and feel, service, facilities and the destinations it serves.

“I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved in the last 12 months.

“We’ve had our busiest year yet but at the same time over 98 per cent of our passengers waited less than 15 minutes to get to security.

“We’ve also been given a good rating by the Civil Aviation Authority for the service we provide to disabled passengers and seen more than 80 per cent of our passengers tell us the service they receive from us is good, very good or excellent.

“I want to thank all my colleagues and partners across the whole airport and, of course, our passengers.

“Joining the 30 Million Club gives us a great platform to build on and I’m excited to see everything the next 12 months bring.”

More than 30.1 million passengers flew into or out of Manchester Airport between the end of September 2023 and the end of September 2024.

During that period the airport set monthly records in each individual month.

In September, 3.05 million passengers passed through the airport – up eight per cent on September 2023.

Airlines, tourist destinations and trade bodies have welcomed the news that Manchester Airport has recorded 30 million passengers in a year.

Dawn Wilson, chief operating Officer of TUI Airline, said: “Partnering with an international airport of Manchester’s status allows us to offer an incredible choice of destinations to customers in the North West.

“We fly to over 20 long, mid and short haul destinations including West Africa, Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico as well as all the top European beach hot spots.

“The scale of the programme we operate also generates employment in the region, with an energetic base team of cabin crew, pilots, engineers and ground staff as well as committed retail experts serving customers in 37 stores in the region.

“We’re looking forward to continuing to work with the airport team to take millions more passengers on their dream holidays in the future.”

Ali Gayward, easyJet UK country manager, said: “This marks a major achievement for Manchester Airport and its continued commitment to growth and customer excellence.

“This new milestone is great news, not only for our customers from across the North West, offering them even greater choice and connectivity, but also for the benefit it provides to the region’s dynamic economy.

“easyJet employs over 1,000 people at the airport and hundreds more indirectly, having operated a base from the airport for over 16 years.

“We are pleased to have played our part in contributing to this achievement and are excited to continue working with Manchester in the future, providing our customers with more great value fares and friendly service.”

Jade Kirwan, Ryanair’s head of communications, Jade Kirwan said; “As Manchester’s no.1 airline, Ryanair congratulates the team at Manchester Airport on this significant milestone.

“30 million passengers in the last 12 months is a fantastic achievement – one that not only further strengthens Manchester’s position on the international playing field but reaps economic benefits for the region also.

“Ryanair has proudly operated at Manchester for the past 37 years, investing heavily in the region with our 17 based aircraft representing a $1.7 million investment and supporting over 6,200 local jobs, and driving important year round traffic and tourism growth.

“We look forward to continuing our work with Manchester Airport and further supporting their growth in the years ahead.”

“With over 200 destinations now accessible from Manchester, we're seeing increased interest from international businesses who value the ability to connect easily with their global operations.

“The connectivity, combined with our world-class talent pool, makes Greater Manchester exceptionally well placed to attract further inward investment.”