Manchester Airport expecting festive getaway rush of 620,000 travellers

2012-12-21 — /travelprnews.com/ — Around 620,000 passengers are set to travel through Manchester Airport over the Christmas and New Year holiday period – an increase of 4.5% or 27,000 on the same period last year (593,000).

The busiest day of the ‘Getaway’ period – which runs from Friday 21st December, 2012 to Friday 4th January, 2013 – is set to be Friday 21st, when more than 50,000 passengers travel through the airport (c. 30,000 departing) coinciding with the end of the school term for Christmas.

The most popular destinations include Palma, Tenerife, Florida, Dubai and Alicante, with cheap package holidays tempting travellers to seek out sunshine. Long Haul routes such as New York, Washington, Chicago and Abu Dhabi also feature strongly; whilst City Breaks nearer to home are also popular, with Antwerp, Dublin, Warsaw, Munich, Gothenburg, Dubrovnik and Reykjavik among the favourites.

Andrew Harrison, Chief Operating Officer of Manchester Airport’s parent company, M.A.G, said: “We are preparing for another busy Christmas and New Year period as thousands of people take to the skies, be it for sunnier climes, returning home, mini breaks, or long haul trips to North America, the Middle East or to connect to places like Australia and the Far East.

“We’ve experienced good growth in passenger numbers throughout 2012 with airlines adding a variety of new services and increased options on existing routes. Rounding the year off with a busy festive period underlines the strength and range of what is on offer to people who prefer to fly direct from the North of England – and provides an optimistic outlook into 2013.”

Manchester Airport Christmas travel advice

At this time of the year passengers often travel with Christmas presents in their luggage – any gifts carried in hand luggage must comply with the Department for Transport (DfT) Liquids, Creams and Gels Policy: if any item has a container size bigger than 100ml, it cannot be carried in hand luggage. Items under-100ml are permitted in hand luggage, but must be carried in a clear re-sealable plastic bag no greater than 1 litre capacity (and 1 bag per passenger). To avoid unwrapping any presents at airport security, it is recommended to place these items in checked-in hold luggage instead. Otherwise, gift-wrapped items carried in hand baggage could be subject to opening for closer inspection as part of the security checks.

At this busy – and cold – time of the year, passengers are also reminded they can help save time at airport security by removing winter items of clothing such as coats, hats, gloves and scarves, as well as belts and shoes, before they arrive at the security check-point. For further details, see: www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/content/travelmadeeasy

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For more information, contact the Manchester Airport press office on 0161 489 2700 or press.office@manairport.co.uk