US attacks put Ringway in turbulent times Email this to a Friend
PASSENGER numbers at Manchester Airport were up on the year last month despite the havoc wreaked to services by the terror attacks in the United States.
A total of 63,000 more travellers passed through the terminals than in September last year.
However, the 3.05 per cent growth rate was around half that of previous months this year, indicating times are not as good as they would have been.
Bosses, who this year opened a £172m second runway to cope with demand, admit they still have work to do to restore confidence among the public about flying.
Ringway handled 2,111,000 passengers compared with 2,048,000 in September last year.
Charter services enjoyed the biggest rise, by seven per cent from 1,274.000 to 1,191,000, as people took holidays they had booked in advance.
Positive
The positive Manchester picture contrasts sharply with figures at BAA, operator of Heathrow and Gatwick and other regional airports.
After last month’s US attacks, passenger numbers were down by 13 per cent at Heathrow and by 6.2 per cent at Gatwick. Cargo tonnage at BAA was down 22.9 per cent during September.
At Manchester, flight cancellations to North America immediately after the New York and Washington outrages caused a fall in long-haul travel.
The number of passengers who flew directly to North America last month fell from 114,885 to 102,154.
Overall, international scheduled passenger figures were only slightly down, from 606,541 to 606,500.
Short-haul European flights enjoyed an upsurge, suggesting people who were planning leisure breaks in the US switched to continental destinations.
Domestic travel
On domestic routes, numbers were down by eight per cent from 250,000 to 230,000. Services to London were particularly hit because fewer passengers connected to US-bound flights at Heathrow and Gatwick, and business travel reduced overall. Last year’s figures were high because travellers switched to the air during the fuel crisis.
The airport has suffered a triple blow in recent weeks with announcements by Cathay Pacific, Malaysian Airlines and Air Canada that they have or are ending services to Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Toronto respectively.
However, no flights between Manchester and the US have so far been scrapped, even though several airlines have swung the axe across their networks.
Tim McDermott, Manchester Airport’s head of commercial and aviation development, said: ‘‘There’s a confidence issue that needs to be addressed.
‘‘The network is holding up but we need to work with the airlines because it is a priority to make sure they continue to achieve strong sales.
‘‘We want to help them develop marketing strategies to ensure that people are aware that the choice is still there from Manchester Airport.’’