Pre-tax profits at Liverpool John Lennon Airport rise 46% to £6.67m with passenger numbers so far this year 23% ahead of 2023. Tony McDonough reports

An easyJet plane at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Picture by Liverpool Airport

Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) is reporting another surge in annual revenues and profits amid a growing number of flights and passengers.

Accounts filed on Companies House for the 12 months to March 31, 2024, reveal revenues of £41.6m – up from £35.7m in the previous year. Pre-tax profits surged 46% to £6.67m.

Passenger numbers during the 12-month period hit 4.3m, 5% higher than the previous year and just 10% under its pre-pandemic levels. And new figures show the airport has handled more than 3.9m passengers from January to September this year – up 23%.

In March this year Jet2 and Jet2 Holidays began flying from Liverpool for the first time. This has boosted passenger numbers along with extra routes announced by easyJet and Ryanair. LJLA is now on track to handle more than 5m passengers in 2024.

In early September it was revealed the airport had been named the UK’s best airport for the second year running in a survey of thousands of air travellers.

Consumer bible Which? asked 5,000 about their experiences of using airports up and down the country over the past 12 months. It rated them in 11 categories including seating, staff, toilets and queues at check in, bag drop, passport control and security.

LJLA  has also launched a £9m overhaul of its food and drink, retail and lounge facilities, and introduced a new sensory space to help relax passengers with sensory or cognitive impairments.

And, in the past year, the airport has obtained planning permission to install a solar farm on site. The solar farm will generate up to 25% of the electricity it consumes each year.

First ever Jet2 flight prepares to take off from Liverpool John Lennon Airport bound for Tenerife

Speaking in September, John Irving, chief executive of LJLA, said: “We have continued to make significant improvements at Liverpool John Lennon Airport as we look to return to pre-COVID passenger numbers.

“Everyone who works at the airport is dedicated to providing our faster, friendlier, easier experience for all of our customers.

We are actively exploring how we can better accommodate increasing passenger footfall while maintaining our high standards for customer service. We are also investing heavily in projects which will enable us to enhance the airport.”

Liverpool Airport’s shareholders are Ancala, a leading infrastructure manager, Peel Group and Liverpool City Council. The airport directly employs around 160 people directly but many more are employed by airlines and other companies.