MAG posts strong growth in November as airports gear up for busy festive season

Passengers

Cargo

*excludes figures for Bournemouth Airport, which was sold to RCA in December 2017.

MAG, the operator of Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports, saw continuing growth in November as new long haul routes saw its airports serve 7.7%* more passengers than in the same month last year.

All three of MAG’s airports grew significantly year on year, with London Stansted growing 8.7% to welcome 1.98m passengers, Manchester up 7.1% to 1.85m passengers and East Midlands Airport growing 4.7% to welcome 232,000 passengers in November.

The growth means that Manchester Airport has now seen two successive months of strong growth in passenger numbers, as the successful ‘backfill’ of slots previously operated by Monarch leads to further growth across the winter season. This growth was further bolstered by the successful introduction of a new long haul link from Manchester to Mumbai with Jet Airways. Overall, long haul traffic to the Caribbean, Middle East and Asia was up 8.8% year on year as Manchester continues to play a major role in connecting the North to global economic hubs.

The record breaking November at London Stansted Airport saw an additional 158,000 passengers fly through Stansted compared with in the same month last year, boosted by a new daily link to Dubai with Emirates and expanded schedules from Ryanair, Jet2.com and others.

November also became a landmark month for Stansted’s future, as its planning application to increase the number of passengers it is permitted to serve to 43 million a year was approved by Uttlesford District Council. The positive decision will improve passenger choice and convenience and boost future international long-haul routes to fast-growing markets like China, India and the US.

East Midlands Airport also grew, by 4.7%, to serve 232,000 passengers in November.

All MAG airports are gearing up for busy festive seasons, with London Stansted expecting 150,000 more passengers than over last Christmas & New Year, Manchester 100,000 more and East Midlands 17,000 more.

Tim Hawkins, Chief Strategy Officer, MAG, said: “Our airports are proving more and more popular. Following a solid summer, they are once again growing strongly through winter, particularly with new long haul routes being launched in recent months.

“As the Government gears up to publish its proposals for a new aviation strategy, it is vital that its focus broadens to considering the role that major airports across the country can play in connecting this country to key global markets.

“Our airports are significant infrastructure assets which, over the coming years, will create jobs in their local communities and help stimulate the national economy. We now need to see Government commit to improving rail access to these airports to help them drive economic growth.”