MAG May 2021 Passenger Statistics
- MAG’s passenger figures grow year-on-year but continue to reflect impact of pandemic
- Passenger numbers for May 2021 are down 95.3% compared to May 2019
- MAG’s rolling 12 months total is down 86.3%
- London Stansted and East Midlands’ cargo operations have performed well for the last 12 months, despite the pandemic
Passengers:
| Manchester | London Stansted | East Midlands | MAG |
Rolling 12-month total to May-21 | 3,000,655 | 3,264,364 | 415,322 | 6,680,341 |
12-month total % change year on year | -87.1% | -85.1% | -88.4% | -86.3% |
Rolling 12- month total to May 20 | 28,905,567 | 28,472,878 | 4,828,501 | 62,206,946 |
May 2021 total | 119,778 | 144,569 | 1,982 | 266,329 |
May 2021 % change year on year | +543.9% | +601.6% | n/a | +574.7% |
May 21 % change on May 2019 | -95.4% | -94.3% | -99.6% | -95.3% |
Cargo:
| Manchester | London Stansted | East Midlands |
May 2021 total tonnes | 4,016 | 23,110 | 37,130 |
May 2021 % change year on year | +199.2% | +9.2% | +21.5% |
MAG continues to serve significantly fewer passengers than in 2019. Despite traffic levels being higher in May 2021 than they were in May 2020 (+574.7%), they are 95.3% down on May 2019. MAG’s 12 month rolling total of passengers is 86.3% down on last year.
On the 17th May international travel officially resumed under the Government’s ‘traffic light system’. Passengers were able to travel to destinations including Portugal and Gibraltar without needing to quarantine on their arrival back in the UK. As a result, MAG’s airports saw an increase in the number of passengers travelling through all three of its airports, with East Midlands’ passenger operation resuming for the first time in six months.
However, on the 3rd June, the Government’s announced its first review of the travel system. It stated no further destinations would be added to the green list, and that Portugal would be moved from the green to the amber list. Along with the wider industry, MAG expressed its disappointment at this decision and issued a statement to national and regional media. The statement criticised the Government’s lack of transparency with the data it is using to make its decisions, citing how other countries are well positioned to be on the green list, owing to low infection and high vaccination rates.
MAG has called on the Government to use its next review at the end of June to add destinations to the green list – largely those which are popular summer destinations, and to remove PCR testing for green list arrivals.
East Midlands and London Stansted’s cargo operations both continued to perform well throughout May 2021, with loads up 21.5% and 9.0% respectively. Both airports’ cargo operations have performed well, despite the pandemic, over the last 12 months.
Notes to Editors:
MAG is the UK’s leading airport group and owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports, together with a significant property business. MAG employs over 6,000 people and annually serves 60 million passengers.
MAG’s strategy is to increase long-term shareholder value by generating profitable growth through the further development of its assets and by offering a high quality user experience for customers using its airports. By achieving this goal, MAG aims to become a global leader in airport management, products and services.
MAG is managed on behalf of its shareholders who include Manchester City Council (35.5%), IFM Investors (35.5%) and the nine other Greater Manchester local authorities (29%).