Newcastle Airport celebrates busiest half term ever as 200,000 use terminal
The site has been named as the fastest growing UK airport based on recent statistics.
Newcastle International Airport recorded its busiest-ever May half term, welcoming over 200,000 passengers – an 8% increase compared to last year.
The record-breaking half term follows newly published Civil Aviation Authority data, which named Newcastle Airport as the fastest growing among the UK’s 15 largest airports in the first quarter of 2026.
This strong passenger growth was driven by additional routes, with Jet2 launching new routes to Porto in Portugal, Preveza in Greece and Palermo in Sicily.
EasyJet's new base at the Airport, which opened in March, will see the airline operate flights to 22 destinations across Europe and North Africa this summer, including Lisbon, Nice, Rome, Sharm-El-Sheikh and Tenerife.
Ryanair also expanded its network, introducing new services to Budapest, Malta and Marrakesh, while increasing capacity to seven existing destinations, including Barcelona, Faro, Krakow and Milan, and Eurowings relaunched flights to Berlin.
Nick Jones, Chief Executive at Newcastle Airport, said: “Achieving a record-breaking May half term and being recognised for our strong growth is fantastic news and reflects the high demand for flights and package holidays from the North East.
“The continued investment from our airline partners is creating even more choice for our passengers, whether they’re enjoying a well-earned break in the sun, a European city break, visiting friends and family or embarking on a long haul adventure.
“As we head into the peak summer season, we look forward to welcoming even more passengers through our doors, while also helping to bring more visitors from around the world to experience everything our region has to offer.”
To support the additional flight traffic, the airport is investing almost £60m over two years to further enhance its facilities.
This includes a three-storey terminal extension, which will deliver a larger departure lounge with additional seating and more space for passengers to relax before flying to their destination.
The international baggage arrivals area is also being expanded, which is is hoped will make journeys quicker and more seamless for passengers as they head into the UK.
A total of 61 million people travelled through UK airports in the first quarter of 2026.