Passenger numbers at Liverpool John Lennon Airport surged 20% above 4m for the first time since the pandemic with the airport on track to hit 5m passengers this year. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) handled almost 4.2m passengers in 2023 as its recovery from the COVID pandemic gathered pace.
Figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reveal a year-on-year growth in passenger numbers for every month of 2023 with the total exceeding the 3.49m passengers handled in 2022.
With Jet2 and Jet2 holidays set to start operating from the airport for the first time in the next few weeks with 20 new routes, LJLA is on track to see passenger numbers exceed 5m in this calendar year.
Figures released by the airport this week revealed a strong start to the year. It handled 272,608 passengers on 3,156 flights in January – a 14% rise on January 2023. Top destinations were Belfast, Dublin, Geneva and Alicante.
2023 also saw an increase in flights and routes from existing carriers at LJLA, including Ryanair, easyJet,PLAY, Wizz Air and Aer Lingus. Lufthansa added extra flights to its Frankfurt route which offers a seamless link to multiple global destinations.
Signs of recovery in post-pandemic passenger numbers emerged in the airport’s financial results for the 12 months to March 31, 2023. Revealed by LBN in October, they showed the airport handled 3.8m passengers in its fiscal year, compared to 1.6m the year before.
In the crucial summer months of June, July and August 2023, LJLA saw an 11.4% rise in passenger numbers to just under 1.27m compared to the same period in 2022.
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LJLA chief executive John Irving told LBN: “2023 was another good year for the airport with more than 4.1m passengers choosing to use Liverpool which was a 20% increase in passenger numbers compared to the year before.
“2024 will be an exciting year ahead as we welcome Jet2 passengers for the first time, bringing further growth and hopefully a return to pre-COVID passenger numbers.”
Last week the airport also published the first of what will become an annual environmental, social and governance (ESG)
It highlights recent progress the company has made in relation to various corporate initiatives, along with targets it has set itself regarding future commitments.
This report sets out a number of corporate objectives for the airport based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which are the globally recognised action plan adopted by leading businesses and 193 world leaders.
The report is also an opportunity to highlight for the first time the range of initiatives that have been undertaken by the airport in recent years to help local communities.
These have included raising £230,000 for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, donating more than four tonnes of items to local foodbanks, supporting young people in to work through apprenticeships and reducing carbon emissions by 69% over the past decade.
In late January LBN reported LJLA is to offer grants worth up to £3,000 to local groups and organisations as it launches a new Community Fund.
HR and community director Carol Dutton added: “We’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in recent years to help local communities, our employees and the environment through various initiatives, but we recognise there is always more that can be done.