Wet weather contributes to passenger traffic growth at Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport records 6.1 percent growth in passenger traffic during July, thanks in part to wet weather at the start of the summer season.

Manchester Airport recorded 2,557,327 people during July 2015, the highest recorded July capacity the airport has witnessed in its 77 year history.

Scheduled international flights were up 8.7 percent on the same period last year and charter traffic was also up by 3 percent in July 2015.

New flights and additional capacity for destinations to the USA, including services to Miami and New York, has been a significant driver behind the growth.

Ken O’Toole, Manchester Airport’s Managing Director, said: “The wet weather in July combined with additional capacity we have this summer across Europe and long-haul to destinations in the USA, Hong Kong and to the Middle East has given Manchester Airport a fantastic boost and we are well on track for our best and busiest summer ever.

“With over 22m people living within our two hour catchment, two full length runways and all-time record passenger numbers, Manchester Airport has, and will continue to have, the available capacity and demand to meet the needs of our catchment that extends as far north as Scotland and South to the Midlands.”

Additionally, there has been significant growth to destinations in the Middle East. Last month Emirates recorded its highest July figure on record in Manchester at 38,000 passengers. Other services to aid growth included double-daily flights to Abu Dhabi with Etihad and extra flights to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines

Total air freight recorded at the airport also increased for the sixth consecutive month.  In July, Manchester handled 8,856 tonnes of air freight, an increase of 4.2 percent on the same period last year. The latest figures take the rolling annual total of cargo for Manchester Airport to 99,805 tonnes.