Manchester and Stansted passenger numbers back to pre-recession levels

Passenger numbers at Manchester and London Stansted are back at pre-recession levels, according to parent MAG.

Manchester Airport is now serving more than 25 million passengers a year for the first time in its history and London Stansted is handling over 24 million, breaking its previous record set in 2007.

The airport group said new route development has helped drive back passenger traffic and helped it grow EBITDA by 6.6% to £215.9 million for the six months to September 30.

Passenger numbers for the whole group, which also includes East Midlands and Bournemouth airports, were up 7.7% year-on-year to 32 million.

MAG CEO Charlie Cornish said: "During the first half of the financial year, the Group has continued to exceed its challenging financial targets and delivered good growth in both passenger numbers and revenue, driven by new route offerings and the completion of the significant terminal redevelopment at London Stansted.

"Our airports will continue to be amongst the most significant drivers of economic growth in their regions, as spare capacity enables them to grow more quickly than other airports. With the decision on Heathrow now made, Government must quickly commit to developing a new aviation policy that will maximise these opportunities for both the country as a whole and the regions that our airports serve.

"The short-term priority for Government must be to make the most of the runways we already have in the 10-15 year period before any new runway is ready and we are calling on them to support faster rail services to Stansted and reduce aviation taxes to encourage new connections from Manchester, particularly to key long haul markets.

"MAG’s business strategy has a long-term focus and is based on resilient foundations. This will put MAG in a strong position as the UK leaves the EU, a process which will highlight the importance of international connectivity to the UK’s future.

"Our strategy to drive top-line growth, improve efficiency and broaden our mix of business will continue and in the coming year we will ensure that we remain focussed on delivering further profitable growth.

"As the country prepares to enter a new era, we will be working closely with Government and the rest of our industry to put in place a framework that will ensure the UK has the very best connections to the rest of the world – something that is fundamental building block for a modern, trading economy. At no point have the excellent links that this country’s airports provide been more vital to the nation’s future prosperity and economic growth."