The owner of Manchester, East Midlands and London Stansted airports has revealed a sharp pull-back in passenger growth amid pressure on air travel over the Iran war.

Manchester Airport Group (MAG) reported passenger growth of 1.9 per cent to 66.3 million for the year to March 31 – down from growth of 6 per cent in the previous year.

Manchester Airport saw the most robust growth in the number of passengers travelling through its terminals, at 3.6 per cent to 32.3 million, but this was down significantly on the 8 per cent growth in 2024-25.

London Stansted saw passenger numbers increase by just 0.4 per cent, down from a rise of 4.9 per cent the previous year, while East Midlands saw a 1.3 per cent decline.

Manchester Airport's owner has published its latest results.

placeholder image — Manchester Airport's owner has published its latest results.

But figures showed pre-tax profits for the parent group rose 4.5 per cent to £227.4 million in the year to the end of March as revenues lifted 12.8 per cent.

The group said: “Despite heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty, Manchester Airport Group has demonstrated resilience and momentum, delivering strong results while continuing to invest for long-term growth and value creation for its stakeholders.

“The passenger growth Manchester Airport Group has seen, much like the overall resilience of the sector, reflects the fundamental desire people have to travel and the resulting growth it creates for individuals, businesses, regions and nations.”