Manchester Airport experienced its busiest December on record after almost 2.4 million passengers travelled through the airport, totalling an astounding 32 million passengers across 2025 for the first time.
A New Record
Compared to 2024, Manchester Airport saw a 4% increase in the number of passengers flying in or out of the airport throughout 2025, coming to a total of over 32 million passengers. Not only is this a first for the airport, it also cements its place as the third biggest airport in the UK behind Heathrow and Gatwick.
Chris Woodroofe, Manchester Airport’s Managing Director, shared on the subject:
“Here at Manchester Airport, we’re proud to connect the North to the world – so the fact we were able to serve a record-breaking 32 million passengers in 2025 is great news.”
December was a particularly busy month, with almost 2.4 million passengers flying during this period, causing an increase of 6% compared to December 2024. The brand-new, £1.3 billion Terminal 2 opened at the start of this month, likely the cause for this new record. On Dec. 19th alone, over a million passengers passed through the airport as schools broke up for Christmas and the month came to an end.
Plans for 2026
Whilst the new terminal is nearly entirely complete, some changes will be seen in the early part of 2026 to encourage a greater volume of passengers. For example, the airport’s first Wetherspoon’s is still to be open alongside a few other retailers, including a high-end shopping area known as The Boutique Mall.
Chris Woodroofe continued on this matter:
“The full footprint of the terminal is now open including extra space as well as new shops and eateries. There’s still more to follow in the early part of this year too… We’ve got another epic year ahead and I’m looking forward to breaking more records so we can welcome even more passengers to the UK’s global gateway in the North.”
Additionally, a multi-million-pound plan to improve Terminal 3 has been recently announced, with some parts opening early next year. These expansions will undoubtedly continue to increase the number of passengers flying through in 2026.
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