Manchester Airport, UK's number 3 airport, shrugs off Monarch's exit

Among Europe's top 20 airports by 2018 passenger numbers, Manchester (ranked 20th) is one of a very small number neither to serve a capital city, nor to be the hub of a national flag carrier airline. LCCs and charter airlines have approximately two thirds of seats at Manchester.

Its schedule focuses principally on leisure routes to destinations in Europe, but it is also the UK's number three airport for capacity to North America. Moreover, it has good connections with major hubs in Europe and the Gulf.

Manchester Airport celebrated its 80th birthday in Jun-2018, during a year in which passenger traffic growth slowed to its weakest rate since the global financial crisis. This was the result of Monarch Airlines' collapse in Oct-2017. However, traffic continued to increase and, now in its 81st year, Manchester is returning to stronger rates of growth.