Liverpool John Lennon Airport’s route expansion is set to continue with the arrival of easyJet’s ninth aircraft – and the airport is also named this week as one of the most accessible in the UK for disabled people. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) is celebrating two milestones this week – the arrival of a ninth easyJet aircraft and being named as one of the most accessible airports in the UK.
In 2025 LJLA handled 5.6m passengers – the highest figure in its history – and that record is set to be broken again this year as airlines, in particular easyJet and Ryanair, continue to add more routes.
This week has seen the arrival of the ninth easyJet aircraft to be based at Liverpool. This 86-seat Airbus A320 will ensure the budget carrier continues to add to its 40-plus routes from Liverpool as well as supporting hundreds of direct and indirect jobs.
Already easyJet has launched two inaugural flights to Seville and Naples, with the new routes providing customers with direct access to two of southern Europe’s most vibrant and culturally rich destinations.
Paul Winfield, director of aviation development at LJLA, said: “The arrival of easyJet’s ninth based aircraft is another significant milestone in our long-standing partnership and demonstrates the airline’s continued confidence in Liverpool and the wider North West market.
“The launch of new routes to Seville and Naples further strengthens the range of destinations available to our passengers and provides even greater choice for both leisure travellers and those visiting friends and family.”
Earlier this week Paul told LBN the airport was also set to launch an aggressive push to promote its Aer Lingus hub route to multiple US cities, including New York and Boston, via Dublin where passengers can get US customs clearance in advance.
Last week the airport said that between the start of the school summer holidays and the end of August it expects to handle almost 930,000 passengers – a record and 7% higher than last year.
And there is further good news this week from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It has published its annual Airport Accessibility Report for 2025/26, highlighting continued improvements in airport accessibility alongside record demand for assistance services.
LJLA has achieved the top ‘very good’ rating confirming it as one of the most disabled-friendly airports in the UK, despite a sharp rise in the number of people passing through the terminal.
The latest CAA report shows demand for airport assistance services continues to grow rapidly. Since 2015, requests for assistance have increased by 115.8%, compared with overall passenger growth of 23.9%.
Airport operations director Paul Staples, said: “We’re delighted the CAA have recognised the hard work both our internal and supplier teams have put into ensuring we achieved the top rating.
“This reflects hard work from our partner ABM who provides the service, our internal teams that monitor and track performance and our accessibility forum which provides us with essential lived experiences helping us focus on continuous improvement.”