What’s On The Horizon For: Newcastle International Airport

During Routes Europe 2025 in Seville, Routes caught up with Newcastle International Airport to uncover the airport’s latest successes and core targets for air connectivity growth.

Newcastle International Airport (NCL), serving the northeast of England, is building on a strong year of growth and accolades as it eyes further air service development opportunities across Europe and beyond.

The airport welcomed more than 5.2 million passengers in 2024 and was named Overall Winner of the Routes World Awards in recognition of its achievements and strong airline partnerships.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have expanded their presence at the airport in response to rising demand, launching new winter sun and ski routes to destinations including Budapest and Chambéry, as well as adding capacity to popular Spanish and Canary Islands resorts.

Meanwhile, easyJet launched 2X-weekly flights to Malaga in March 2025, following a new Lyon service introduced in January. More expansion is coming in May, including Blue Islands flights to Guernsey and Jersey, Norwegian’s 2X-weekly service to Copenhagen, and Eurowings’ new route to Berlin—marking 10 years since the airline first launched service from Newcastle.

Working alongside its 18 airline partners, Leon McQuaid, NCL’s director of aviation development, emphasized the airport’s focus on longevity of route performance.

During Routes Europe 2025, McQuaid said: “Our focus is always on sustainable growth. We will look at unserved and underserved opportunities, which fits into the utilization of our Routes 360 profile, to promote markets where we believe there are sustainable prospects.”

The airport continues to target both city break and leisure markets, with strong existing connectivity including up to 18 daily flights to major hub airports. McQuaid said further frequency and destination variety could offer greater choice for the airport’s loyal customer base.

Alongside route growth, passenger experience is a central focus. A recent $25.9 million terminal refurbishment introduced modern security screening, an upgraded executive lounge, and expanded food and beverage options. These enhancements helped the airport win Best Airport in Europe (2 to 5 million passenger category) at the 2024 Airport Service Quality Awards, based entirely on passenger feedback.

As a member of Routes 360, NCL updates the route development community on its latest developments and route successes, alongside the promotion of its unserved and underserved opportunities for airlines to capitalize on.