Newcastle Airport gears up for record-breaking summer
Newcastle Airport is set for its busiest summer on record, with more than 1.4 million passengers expected to travel through the terminal – almost 10% more than last year.
More than 4,000 flights are scheduled to depart from the part publicly-owned airport over the summer school holiday period, with popular destinations like Alicante, Antalya, Ibiza and Palma, among the busiest routes and popular European city-break destinations such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen and Paris also in high demand.
The record-breaking summer is being driven by continued investment from airlines, with easyJet operating flights to 21 destinations following the opening of its new base at the airport earlier this year.
In August, the airline is due to launch a further four new services to Prague, Reus, Sharm El Sheikh and Tenerife.
Jet2 has also expanded its offering with new routes from the North East to Porto, Preveza and Palermo, while Ryanair has added Budapest, Malta and Marrakech to its network.
To support the growth in passenger numbers, the Airport has invested almost £60m in recent years in its facilities.
Nick Jones, chief executive at Newcastle Airport, said: “Welcoming more than 1.4 million passengers this summer will be a record-breaking achievement and reinforces our position as the North East's gateway to the world.
“Demand for travel has never been stronger, with passengers benefiting from more destinations and increased capacity across our network than ever before.
“As we prepare for our busiest summer, we are investing in our facilities to support the growing demand we expect to see in the years ahead.”
Newcastle Airport is a public private partnership with the North East’s seven local authorities owning 51% of the company.
The remaining 49% is split between leading airport operator Aena and infrastructure management firm and InfraBridge.