MAG has now taken on more than 2,000 new recruits to shore up its operational resilience, with service levels across the group – which comprises Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports – now back to normal.
The group on Wednesday (7 December) revealed it returned to profit over the summer in the six months to 30 September as passenger numbers rebounded to 84% of pre-Covid levels.
It posted a half-year operating profit of £22.8 million, up from a loss of £75.7 million during the same period a year earlier, while revenues increased by £158.7 million to £538.8 million.
In total, 30.5 million passengers passed through MAG’s three airports during the first half of the year. This compares with 6.6 million last summer. MAG said the uptick had been driven by the resumption of the "vast majority" of its pre-pandemic route network, with short-haul traffic – at times – exceeding 2019 levels.
Long-haul recovery, meanwhile, has been led by direct routes to North America and the Middle East, said MAG, with the group insisting its decision not to impose capacity restrictions – like Heathrow did – allowed carriers to meet resurgent summer demand.
After a "challenging" start to the summer season, which saw Manchester airport in particular come in for heavy criticism following the post-Covid restart, MAG said an "extensive recruitment campaign" had helped it turn the tide, with service levels across MAG airports "now at or above" pre-Covid levels.
Chief executive Charlie Cornish revealed the group had now hired more than 2,000 new colleagues – including more than 1,000 security officers – and promised "a really positive experience" for the remainder of the year, and into 2023, now that its recruitment drive had been completed.
The group said operational performance had improved "significantly" since "a period of disruption" at Manchester airport in early summer, with 97% of passengers passing through security at Manchester within 15 minutes come November. This rose to 99% at Stansted and East Midlands.
"Seasonal recruitment cycles are continuing across the business, ensuring that all three of MAG’s airports are well resourced as they approach next summer’s peak," said the group.
