Almost 1.5 million people travelled through Manchester Airport in January – a new record.
In total, 1,415,735 people travelled through the UK’s third biggest airport during the month, an increase of 7.8% on the previous year. Popular destinations included Dubai, Palma and Tenerife.
The bumper January also saw an increase of more than 500 aircraft movements on the runways, with the rolling annual total of passengers now at 23,218,662.
The year-on-year increase is partly due to the fact there are now flights to more destinations than ever before in the airport’s 78-year history.
A new addition in 2015 was Thomas Cook Airlines to Miami, plus new carriers including Vueling and Iberia Express launched services last year.
Ken O’Toole, Manchester Airport’s Managing Director, said: “January is usually a quieter month following the busy Christmas period however the increase in passenger numbers this January highlights that more people have opted to take a post-Christmas break.
“Popular routes during the month included long haul favourites, like Dubai, as people sought out some sun.
“We expect February to be a busy month also as couples jet off on romantic weekend breaks to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
“Plus half-term sees many families hitting the slopes across Europe.”
Manchester Airport has already announced several new routes for 2016, including direct flights to Beijing, China, with Hainan Airlines and flights to Boston and Los Angeles, USA, with Thomas Cook Airlines.
The routes make Manchester the only airport outside of London to offer direct services to these destinations.
Ken added: “Connecting the north to the rest of the world is our priority as we continue to significantly strengthen our route network.
“With a large catchment area and northern based businesses booming, the more attractive it is to airlines to add a new flight from Manchester.”
East Midlands Airport saw 191,000 customers in January – 4.1% busier than this time last year, while Bournemouth Airport’s 29,569 passengers in January took its rolling 12-month total to 715,888, which represents 8.1% growth over the previous year.