Newcastle International Airport (NCL) has been the recipient of a prestigious award following its win at the UK’s Aviation Industry Awards. Newcastle Airport beat out Manchester Airport to be named as Airport of the Year, a significant moment of recognition for the airport’s investment into performance growth and improvement of passenger experience in recent years.
Newcastle Airport Takes Home Major Accolade at UK Aviation Awards
Following a vote by a panel of industry experts, Newcastle Airport has received the title as 2026’s Airport of the Year. This award recognises the airport’s performance growth and investment in improving its services.
The airport has made record levels of airline investment during 2025-26, resulting in the launch of over 20 new routes. This included popular European destinations such as Berlin, Copenhagen, Lisbon, and Nice.
easyJet also opened a new base at the airport in early 2026, which has since quadrupled its route network and now offers customers flights and package holidays to 32 destinations. The new base has also supported an increase of jobs at Newcastle Airport.
NCL’s performance growth has been supported an investment of nearly £60 million over the last few years. The funds have been largely used to enhance facilities in the airport with the aim of improving passenger experience. This included a three-storey terminal extension, with a larger departure lounge that supports additional seating and bathroom facilities.
The airport has also invested in an expanded international baggage hall and larger security area, both of which are designed to alleviate pressures on airport staff during busy periods and improve customer satisfaction.
The award also recognises Newcastle Airport’s efforts towards its sustainability goals, namely achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2035. NCL achieved a 100% score in its Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) assessment in 2025, as well as ranking first in the sector for carbon reduction and sustainable travel initiatives.
After receiving the award, Chief Executive at Newcastle Airport Nick Jones expressed his gratitude for the award’s recognition of NCL’s performance growth:
“We are incredibly proud to have been named Airport of the Year at the Aviation Industry Awards UK. This award recognises a period of significant growth and investment for Newcastle Airport, during which we have expanded our route network, further enhanced our facilities and continued to deliver an award-winning experience for our passengers.”
Other Winners at the Aviation Industry Awards
The 2026 Aviation Industry Awards saw an impressive number of awards given out to various airlines, industry officials, and companies.
Some of the notable winners included:
- Air Canada Cargo for the Air Cargo Award; recognised for consistently strong performance in the UK through network planning, fleet investment, and reliability.
- STS Engine Services for the People Development Award; recognised for its programmes and partnerships aimed at training the next generation of aviation engineers.
- com and Jet2holidays for the Apprenticeship Programme Award; recognised for its exceptional learner outcomes and strong retention rates of apprentices.
- Manchester Airport for the Airport Achievement Award; recognised for the successful delivery of a £1.3 billion transformation programme whilst maintaining live 24/7 operations. The programme modernised Manchester’s Terminal 2.
- Osprey Flight Solutions for Global Impact in Aviation Award; recognised for its initiatives in aviation security and resilience, helping airlines and operators to accelerate crisis response and reduce disruption.
Congratulations to all the winners from the 2026 Aviation Industry Awards! Have you had any experiences with these award-winning services? Let us know in the comments below.
