MAG, the operator of Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports, saw passenger numbers grow by four per cent in April.

The news comes as the airports prepare to enter their busy summer season.

Manchester Airport welcomed 2.3 million passengers in April, up 8.4 per cent year on last year.

Growth has been driven by long-haul routes, with destinations such as Singapore seeing a 25.3 per cent increase in passenger numbers and Jamaica seeing a 38.9 per cent increase.

Dubai was the third most popular destination for passengers last month.

London Stansted Airport saw its impressive March growth (6.1 per cent) boosted by a further one per cent on April last year, benefitting from the launch of a new route direct to Paris (CDG), and a five-weekly service to Copenhagen with SAS.

Domestic routes to Edinburgh and Belfast were among the top destinations for Stansted passengers this month, alongside an increase of 14.1 per cent in passengers travelling to the Canary Islands.

East Midlands Airport saw a slight dip in its passenger numbers, welcoming 393,532 passengers, 2.9 per cent down on April 2018.

However, East Midlands Airport continues to prove popular for passengers heading to the Balearic and Canary Islands, and saw a significant 20 per cent increase in passengers travelling to Turkey.

Graeme Elliott, Corporate Affairs Director, MAG said: “This growth, alongside a number of vital new links, is a positive indicator as we enter the busy summer season, and shows we are offering the destinations that passengers are looking for.”