International air travel from Newcastle Airport reaches record numbers in 2023

Newcastle Airport is reflecting on a stellar performance in 2023 which saw over 4.9 million passengers pass through its doors, record-breaking numbers of passengers travelling to the region’s most popular holiday hotspots, the arrival of two new airline partners as well as rapid progress towards its Net Zero 2035 goal.

It is no secret that the North East travelling public look forward to their summer holidays. Last summer the Airport’s holiday traffic to destinations including Greece, Turkey and Cyprus recovered to record numbers, reaching 111 per cent of pre-pandemic levels - a huge milestone for the business.  

Long haul travel also performed well, with summertime traffic to USA destinations including Orlando, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Boston jumping to 105% of pre-pandemic levels - resulting in the 3rd strongest recovery of traffic to the USA of all UK airports. 

The Airport’s daily Emirates flight to Dubai saw passenger numbers rise to 102 per cent of pre-pandemic levels and KLM recently introduced a 5th daily frequency to Amsterdam to accommodate the increased demand from the region.

SunExpress, a joint venture airline between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, arrived into the Airport  in March 2023, bringing even more choice to Antalya, Turkey. This new addition was quickly followed in June by the arrival of AEGEAN, Greece’s flagship carrier, which began operating twice-weekly direct flights to the new destination of Athens. The route also gave passengers the option to travel onward via AEGEAN’s expansive route network to popular destinations such as Istanbul, Tirana and Bucharest, as well as providing easy connectivity to a host of idyllic Greek islands including Paros, Milos and Naxos. 

In May, Aer Lingus introduced a new connection to Belfast City Airport and TUI increased the number of destinations it serves from the region to 36, with the addition of Cape Verde and Sharm El Sheikh – perfect for those looking for a new, year-round sunny escape.

Throughout the year the Airport also made great inroads towards its Net Zero 2035 target. The first phase of the Airport’s solar farm was switched on, providing 100% of the site’s electricity requirements on sunny days. The business invested heavily in new electric vehicles (EV) and submitted plans for a state-of-the-art EV charging forecourt on Airport owned land. 

In November of 2023 the Airport was also recognised as a ‘Sustainability Sector Leader’ in the GRESB Infrastructure Assessment - an annual report that benchmarks environmental, social and governance (ESG) data of over 2,000 assets worldwide.

Nick Jones, CEO at Newcastle International Airport said: “Last year was a fantastic 12 months for the business. Not only did we see our passenger numbers increase again, but our commitment to providing an exceptional passenger experience was once again recognised through two high-profile ‘Best Airport’ awards – one voted for by the UK travel industry and the other being the ‘Routes World’ award voted for by airlines from across the globe.

“Looking forward to the next 12 months, we’re investing heavily in the terminal with over £20m worth of redevelopment works ongoing in the security search area and departure lounge – all of which will be completed in time for the summer season. I can’t wait for passengers to see it!”

Over the next 12 months the Airport expects passenger numbers to rise again to over 5 million - thanks in part to even more choice to a number of destinations, including Athens, Milan, Barcelona, Dalaman, Paphos and Rhodes. The summer season will also see easyJet reintroduce summer flights to Alicante and Jet2.com add Chania, Symi and Bergen to its list of destinations. 

Looking further ahead, the Airport’s Aviation Development Team are keen to continue to grow the number of direct destinations available from Newcastle International Airport for the benefit of the North East.

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