Manchester Airport has seen its passenger numbers increase, with 2.80% more people using the airport in May compared to the same period last year.

This is despite the fact that none of the North’s top football teams made it to the last stages of the European competitions which normally gives the airport a boost with fans travelling.

A total of 2,093,391 people travelled through the North’s major airport in May 2015, up from 2,036,410 in the same period last year.

It moves the rolling annual total to 22,406,306 – an increase of 6.21% year-on-year – and the most ever for Manchester Airport, with current forecasts indicating that the airport will break the 23 million passenger mark by 2016.

The amount of air freight handled through Manchester also showed further strong growth, increasing for the fourth consecutive month, up 9.24% from 7,996 tonnes in May 2014 to 8,735 tonnes in the same period this year.

Manchester Airport’s managing director, Ken O’Toole, said: 'We continue to invest in making sure Manchester Airport can fulfil its potential as a true UK gateway for the north of England, through investment in new facilities; marketing initiatives to remind people in our catchment of the services we offer; or working with airline partners to deliver more new routes.

'We’re well prepared for the busy summer season ahead and expect it to be our best and busiest ever.

'With over 22m people living within our two hour catchment, two full length runways and all-time record passenger numbers, Manchester Airport has, and will continue to have, the available capacity and demand to meet the needs of our catchment that extends as far north as Scotland and South to the Midlands.'

Manchester Airport also announced this month a £1bn 10 year transformation programme.