1.1million people will fly to 158 destinations on more than 7,300 flights over the two-week Easter period
Top destinations are Dubai, Dublin, Alicante and Belfast
New routes for Easter 2023 include Catania, in Italy, Kuwait, Bahrain, Podgorica, in Montenegro, and Trondheim in Norway.
Manchester Airport is set to welcome more than 1.1 million passengers over the two-week Easter holiday.
Passengers will fly to and from 158 destinations on more than 7,300 flights while many schools are off from 1 April to 16 April.
This year the airport estimates that a total of 1,174,362 passengers will fly from or arrive at the airport over the Easter break, compared to 1,038,175 last year – a 13.1% year-on-year increase.
The most popular destination over Easter is Dubai, with people flying to the Middle East hub to connect to destinations all over the world.
Dubai has risen from being the sixth most popular destination last year, leapfrogging Dublin, Alicante, Tenerife, Amsterdam and Palma. Belfast International is a new entry to the top ten, edging out perennial favourite Malaga.
| 10 most popular destinations Easter 2023 | 10 most popular destinations Easter 2022 |
| Dubai | Dublin |
| Dublin | Alicante |
| Alicante | Tenerife |
| Tenerife | Amsterdam |
| Amsterdam | Palma |
| Palma | Dubai |
| Belfast International | Antalya |
| Paris Charles De Gaulle | Malaga |
| Antalya | Faro |
| Faro | Paris Charles De Gaulle |
People are also flying to a number of new destinations not available last year, including Catania in Italy, Kuwait, Bahrain, Podgorica in Montenegro and Trondheim in Norway.
And those due to fly are set for an enjoyable experience, with average security times for February below 15 minutes for 96% of customers. The airport has also confirmed all of its bars, restaurants and cafes are now fully open, meaning those flying through have a great choice when it comes to getting their holidays off to a relaxing start.
Passengers set to travel through Manchester are being urged to do their bit to ensure a smooth experience, by familiarising themselves with the latest rules on what can and can’t be taken through security, and arriving at the airport at the earliest time specified by their airline – but not earlier.
Manchester Airport managing director Chris Woodroofe said: “Easter is always a hugely popular time to get away, as people look to take advantage of the school holidays and grab a bit of Spring sunshine.
“Manchester Airport is the UK’s global gateway in the North, and that means we have a wide range of destinations for travellers from all parts of the region to choose from – whether that’s a city break, a European resort or a far-flung long-haul getaway.
“We’re looking forward to a successful Easter and have put a range of new measures in place to make sure passengers see the airport at its best. We’ve got state of the art technology to help us track how long people are spending in queues and a new 100-person resilience team that can step in and trouble shoot any problems that may occur.
“In February more than 95% of people got through security in under 15 minutes and we’re confident we will maintain that over the Easter period and into the summer.”
