Manchester airport has reported it flew a record number of passengers in the past financial year.
Around 23.5 million people used the UK’s third largest airport for the 12 months ending March 31, the most in its 78 year history.
Traffic numbers for March 2016 were 11 per cent up year-on-year, with the top five destinations: Dubai, Dublin, Amsterdam, Tenerife and Alicante.
Manchester airport MD Ken O’Toole said: “The continued strong growth at Manchester Airport is incredibly positive and benefits not only the airport and our passengers, but the entire region.
“As new routes come to fruition and passenger numbers increase, in turn jobs are created and inbound tourism spend is injected into the region.”
He added: “This financial year, we will see services to Beijing, with Hainan Airlines plus Los Angeles and Boston, with Thomas Cook, begin. Plus next financial year San Francisco and Boston, with Virgin Atlantic, will launch.
Growth was seen across all of Manchester Airport Group’s airports in March. At London Stansted Airport, planes were fuller than last year, with numbers up 13.2 per cent, with 1,892,166 passengers flown.
East Midlands Airport posted a 9.1 per cent increase in passengers last month, and Bournemouth Airport’s 37,210 passengers in March took its rolling 12 month total to 733,162 which represents 11.4 per cent growth over the previous year.
Sign up to BBT’s twice-weekly newsletter