Manchester Airports Group (MAG) also saw 4.6m passengers travel through its airports in December, up 7.9% on December 2023.

Rolling 12 month figures show that Manchester Airports Group – which owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports – served 64.7m passengers in the year to December 2024, marking a successful end to the year.

At Manchester Airport, 2.2m passengers flew through the Northern hub, an increase of 10.9% on the same month in 2023. London Stansted also served 2.2m passengers across the month, an increase of 7.4%.

Both airports recorded their busiest ever Christmas Days, with more than 22,500 passengers flying through Manchester Airport, and more than 5,400 travelling through London Stansted for festive breaks.

More than 150,000 passengers chose East Midlands Airport for their getaways in December, bringing its rolling total for 2024 to 4.1m, up 5.1% year-on-year.

Operational performance across the group remained strong throughout December.

At East Midlands Airport and London Stansted 99% of passengers passed through security in 15 minutes or less. The figure at Manchester Airport was 98%.

Across 2024, MAG marked a number of significant milestones as it continued its focus on investment across its three airports and growth of travel services business, CAVU.

Manchester Airport officially joined the ’30 Million Club’ in September putting it alongside some of the biggest airports in the world.

The Airport’s Transformation Programme continued to reach significant milestones across the year, including the announcement of a suite of new retail units that will feature in the regenerated part of Terminal 2, alongside significant construction milestones across the airfield, boarding facilities and other key areas.

The programme is due for completion in 2025, when the state-of-the-art facility will handle around 70% of the airport’s traffic.

Ken O’Toole, CEO of MAG, said: “Reflecting on the last 12 months, I am proud of the performance across Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports and CAVU. Record-breaking passenger numbers demonstrated that our airports are offering extensive and varied route networks, and are delivering the positive experience that passengers are looking for.

 “December’s passenger numbers signalled a strong end to the year, with year-on-year growth across the Group and record numbers of travellers using Manchester and London Stansted on Christmas Day.”

A year of transformation

London Stansted unveiled its £1.1bn investment programme announced at the Government’s International Investment Summit in October, which will increase the Airport’s terminal capacity and enhance the passenger experience.

Later in the year, London Stansted also published a long-term Sustainable Development Plan, which outlines its future vision and plans to unlock the potential of its existing single runway.

East Midlands Airport was nominated for multiple national awards in 2024, and was a finalist for ‘Airport of the Year’ for both the National Transport Awards and the Travel Industry Awards by TTG.

In April, the Airport released a new study which showed that that more than 12,500 new jobs and £1.8bn in economic value could be created through growth of the Airport’s cargo operation by 2030.

The study showcased East Midland Airport’s role as the UK’s largest pure freight operation, powering UK trade on the global stage.

CAVU, MAG’s digital services division, which specialises in providing end-to-end passenger products and experiences, also had a positive year.

In May, CAVU announced the launch of aether, Manchester Airport’s private terminal.

The premium travel experience is available for all passengers travelling with partner airlines, from low-cost, to full service long-haul carriers. Later in the year, the division also announced the acquisition of Parkos – a leading European platform for comparing and booking airport car parking.

O’Toole added: “Looking forward, 2025 will be significant for MAG as we complete Manchester Airport’s Transformation Programme after more than £1bn of investment.

We will also progress work on London Stansted’s terminal extension and continue to deliver £120m of improvements at East Midlands Airport. These investments will sit alongside our priority to offer the best possible experience for our passengers and introduction of the latest technology across the Group.”

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