Manchester Airport is rolling out 12 brand-new routes this summer, adding long-haul and beach destinations as airlines expand services from the North West hub. The new schedule includes flights to Algiers and Lahore, along with Mediterranean spots that have not previously been served from Manchester.
Air Algerie will begin the Manchester to Algiers service on June 14, while Pakistan International Airlines is due to start flights to Lahore on July 3. easyJet will launch Bari on July 3 and Preveza on June 24, after beginning Montpellier services in late March. Ryanair is adding Castellon on June 1 and Rimini on June 3. Jet2.com has also announced services to Jerez de la Frontera, La Palma, Palermo, Pula and Samos, with those flights now operating.
The airport’s expansion comes as summer demand remains strong for familiar holiday markets such as Mallorca, Tenerife, Alicante and Faro, which continue to draw large numbers of passengers. The new routes are being added alongside existing year-round services to Mallorca and Tenerife, giving travelers more options at a time when many are looking beyond the usual package-holiday choices.
Stephen Turner said several of the new routes will connect Manchester to destinations unserved by any other Northern airport. He said travellers remain keen to take holidays abroad this summer, and that while places such as Mallorca, Alicante and Faro are always in demand, many people also want to try somewhere new, even when they are visiting a country they know well.
Turner added that Manchester Airport offers a range of destinations unmatched by any other airport in the North, including what he described as sun, sea and sand routes as well as global cities. He said the airport was excited to see a dozen new routes coming on board this summer and thanked its airlines for their commitment to offering passengers unrivalled choice.
The timetable gives the airport a steady run of launches through June and July, with Ryanair first out of the gate on June 1 and June 3, followed by Air Algerie on June 14, easyJet on June 24 and finally Pakistan International Airlines and easyJet again on July 3. Pakistan International Airlines previously launched flights to Islamabad from Manchester, underlining the carrier’s growing role in the airport’s long-haul network.
For passengers, the significance is simple: Manchester is widening its reach just as the summer getaway season begins, and it is doing it in places many travelers from the North have not been able to fly to directly before. That puts the airport in a stronger position to compete for holidaymakers who want more than the old shortlist of perennial favorites.
