MAG, the owner of Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports, has this month seen a 1.8 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger numbers.

Manchester welcomed nearly three million passengers in June, an increase of 3.8 per cent on June last year, as the north’s global gateway reached a total of 29 million passengers served in the past year.

Direct, long-haul connectivity continues to drive Manchester’s growth, with passengers on scheduled long-haul flights up ten per cent year-on-year.

For example, the increased frequency of Qatar Airways’ service to Doha meant there was a 43.3 per cent increase in passengers travelling to the Middle Eastern hub, with passengers travelling to Singapore increasing by 23.8 per cent.

London Stansted Airport continues to grow and saw an increase in passengers of one per cent compared to June last year, as it welcomed 2.7 million passengers.

East Midlands Airport saw a reduction of 4.2 per cent in passenger numbers this month, but still welcomed well over half a million (536,303) to the airport, departing to popular European holiday destinations.

The airport saw a 40 per cent increase in passengers travelling to Turkey, alongside a 7.3 per cent increase in passengers starting their summer holidays in Jersey.

Graeme Elliott, corporate affairs director, MAG said: “Manchester Airport serving more passengers than ever before shows the benefits of an increase in competition and choice that our expanding long-haul network is delivering.

“With more connections to destinations on offer, Manchester Airport continues to demonstrate the key role it can play in rebalancing the UK economy, boosting inward investment and business opportunities into the Northern Powerhouse and further afield.”