The party also saw more than £1,200 raised for cancer charity Clic Sargent in a raffle with many of the prizes donated by airlines.

The airport is celebrating another strong year, having handled 27.9 million passengers since the start of it, while 4.7 million passengers are estimated to have used the airport during the school holidays.

The strong passenger numbers coincide with a £1 billion overhaul to the airport, which has been going on for a year now.

Once completed, Terminal 2 will be 150% bigger and will become the centre of the airport’s operations.

To date 70% of the steelwork required for the extension has been completed while the first pier for aircraft has also been built.

Andrew Cowan, chief executive of Manchester airport, said: “I’m excited to see the first pier open to passengers in just eight months’ time and to press ahead with the rest of the scheme, especially the new terminal building, which is on course to be open to passengers by mid-2020.”