Meet The Winners: Newcastle International Airport

Newcastle International Airport (NCL) connects to over 80 direct destinations with its 16 airline partners. Serving the northeast of England, NCL is on track to reach a post-COVID recovery this year with a further 11% growth increase expected in 2025.

A Routes 360 member, NCL has welcomed a wealth of new routes, increased services and additional investment from its airline partners over the past year. TUI added a fifth aircraft to its NCL base and introduced flights to Cape Verde. SunExpress announced a new Dalaman route and additional Antalya flights for summer 2025, while Ryanair began a twice-weekly service to Marrakech, bringing its destinations from NCL to 18.

In September 2024, easyJet launched a twice-weekly service to Amsterdam, which will increase to daily in October, as well as a new route to Paris, expanding access to the Disney World market. In January 2025, easyJet will add a weekly service to Lyon, aiming to capture the French ski market.

Jet2.com is also expanding at NCL, with plans for a ninth aircraft based there in 2026. The airline’s biggest summer program will include new routes to Porto, Preveza, Agadir, and Barcelona, adding 1.3 million seats and boosting capacity by 11% over summer 2025.

At Routes World 2024, Leon McQuaid, NCL’s director of aviation development, emphasized the airport’s focus on safety, customer service, and operational efficiency. Recent investments in infrastructure, data resources, and sustainability reinforce NCL’s commitment to supporting passenger growth and effective airline partnerships.

“We use complex data analysis to review O&D traffic and leakage statistics to determine which unserved route opportunities present profitable to airline partners,” McQuaid said. “We often upload our target markets to our Routes 360 profile for airlines to review and capitalize on.”

A recent $25.9 million terminal refurbishment upgraded security technology, added an executive lounge, and expanded dining options, enhancing the passenger experience. NCL also prioritizes sustainability, becoming the first UK airport to invest in an onsite solar farm capable of generating all required electricity on sunny days, alongside electric buses. The airport is committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2035.

NCL’s achievements earned it not only the Under 5 Million Passengers category award for the second consecutive year but also the prestigious Overall Winner title at Routes World 2024.

McQuaid said: “To be nominated by our airline partners is fantastic; it’s a testament to the whole company. To win our category, we were completely blown away and then to win the Overall award we were completely gob smacked. A huge thank you to our airline partners and the whole team back in Newcastle—it’s a team effort and we’re absolutely delighted.”

In addition to its Routes World accolades, NCL was also named UK and Ireland Airport of the Year at the 2024 Travel Industry Awards.