Manchester Airport reported 1.7 million passengers in February 2023, meaning traffic was back to 93% of 2019.
The number was an increase of half a million on the same month in 2022 and suggested the airport was in for a "strong summer season" with "far-flung destinations" such as Barbados, Istanbul, Sharm-El-Sheikh and Doha proving increasingly popular with travellers from the north-west of England.
The most popular destination in February was Dubai, followed by Dublin, Amsterdam, Tenerife and Paris.
But despite the increasing interest in long-haul flights, low-cost carriers "had a particularly strong month" with 865,000 passengers in February, 99% of pre-pandemic levels, the airport authority, Manchester Airports Group (MAG) said in a statement.
“It’s fantastic to see so many travellers choosing to fly through Manchester Airport and passenger numbers returning to normal shows how far we’ve come," said Manchester Airport managing director Chris Woodroofe.
MAG said that its three airports, which include East Midlands and London Stansted, served 3.5 million passengers in February, equivalent to 90% of pre-pandemic levels.