AN INCREASE in holiday demand has seen recently award-winning Teesside International Airport enjoy the biggest recovery in passenger numbers of any UK airport.
The airport has seen passenger numbers rise by 96% since 2019. This is by far the biggest increase recorded by a UK airport during a period when the industry has suffered the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Official figures show major progress has been made in the long-term recovery plan and comes as the airport celebrates being named British and Irish Airport of the Year.
Civil Aviation Authority data showed 25,369 passengers passed through the airport in July, compared to fewer than 13,000 in 2019.
Teesside was one of six out of 35 UK airports to surpass its pre-pandemic figures and buck the national trend which saw a 6% fall in overall air traffic.
Furthermore, the airport also had its best month since 2010 in September – beating the previous record set only in June – as the total exceeded 27,000.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “These figures show our recovery plan is working in providing the flights and services people want from their local airport.
“We have worked incredibly hard to recover from the impact of the pandemic and it is fantastic that we have achieved, by far, the biggest rebound of any airport in the country.
” This is just the beginning. We want more interesting destinations to make sure we increase those numbers. This growth – alongside our development as an ideal location for businesses – will help us achieve our plan to put money back into the airport.
Bosses say the increase in passenger numbers has been fueled by a boosted supply of holiday flights, with thousands of families jetting off to the sun,
This summer, the airport experienced its busiest period since returning to public ownership in 2019 and is on track to record its busiest year since 2011.
Holiday destinations with airline Ryanair to Alicante, Faro in Portugal, Majorca and Corfu have proven popular.
TUI has also expanded its offering from Teesside this year, with twice-weekly flights to Majorca thanks to the popularity of the route last year and a service to Antalya, Turkey.
Balkan Holidays also flies to Burgas, Bulgaria, and vacationers use KLM’s thrice-daily service to Amsterdam Schiphol, serving 200 global destinations.
Phil Forster, Managing Director of Teesside International Airport, said: “These figures confirm how Teesside is moving firmly in the right direction.
“We are confident we can now build on this success by adding more flights so passengers make Teesside their first choice with the fantastic experience of flying from our airport.”
Teesside has been named UK and Ireland Airport of the Year at the TTG Travel Industry Awards in London after being recognized for its flight growth and providing an exceptional passenger experience.
It is also shortlisted for the British Travel Awards for Best Airport in the UK and is the only domestic airport to compete against global competition in the International Airport Review’s Airport Experience Award.
Major progress has been made in developing the airport as a key location for businesses, as part of the 10-year return to profit plan.
Work is now almost complete on the link road and the first unit of the £200 million Business Park South to the south of the airport, which is expected to create 4,400 jobs once fully operational, while new hangars are also being developed on the north side of the airport.