Ryanair records busiest ever month after 19.3m passengers booked tickets in June

That is up 10.9 per cent from 17.4m during the same month last year.

Another low-cost airline, Wizz Air, suffered a small decline in passenger numbers over the same period.

It said 5.3m passengers held tickets for its flights last month, down 0.2 per cent from June 2023.

The carrier said load factor – the proportion of seats filled – fell by 0.6 percentage points to 91.7 per cent, which reflects “a focus on overall revenue management”.

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) – which owns and operates Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands Airports – announced it has exceeded pre-pandemic annual passenger levels for the first time.

Some 61.3m people travelled through its airports in the year to the end of March, compared with 54.0m in 2022/23 and 59.6m in 2019/20.

MAG said its operating profit for the most recent financial year was £240.1m after “accounting for one-offs”, which is up from £28.6m during the previous 12 months.

Chief executive Ken O’Toole said the increase in passenger numbers demonstrates “the vital role our airports play in connecting people and businesses to the world”.

He went on: “Our growing route networks are providing access to more than 200 destinations, and we are committed to giving passengers the best possible choice to help them shape their journeys to suit their needs.

“I am proud of the high levels of customer service we have been able to provide across this reporting period and thank all of our colleagues and partners for delivering that.

“MAG has also continued to play a leading role in supporting the transition to net zero carbon aviation by 2050, and that will continue in earnest in the year ahead.

“As an island trading nation, we know that aviation has a critical role to play in the UK’s economic future.

“Aviation creates high-quality jobs and enables global trade, investment and tourism, and we know that the UK’s economic sectors that will drive the most growth in the years ahead rely on global connectivity more than others.

“As the UK elects a new government, we look forward to working with them on an industrial strategy for the country that is underpinned by the sustainable growth of aviation.”