An estimated £189m of Manchester Airport’s £630m revenue came from parking charges including late payment fees at the airport’s new barrierless system, as an MP calls for transparency over the figures.
Manchester Airport raked in a total of £630m last year – but it’s estimated that nearly a third of the cash coming from parking charges.
Around £189m of the revenue was generated from parking fees, including late payment charges at the airport’s new barrier-free parking system. This figure represents an increase of £20m compared to the previous year.
Airport bosses have declined to disclose how much money is made from late payment charges. However, they maintain that parking revenue, which has increased in line with other areas of its business, is reinvested into the airport and contributes to providing lower airfares and a broad range of airlines and destinations.
Travellers also have the option to use public transport and a free drop-off zone where a shuttle transports passengers to the terminals, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Oldham MP Jim McMahon has previously slammed the ‘unfair’ parking system in parliament. And he has urged airport chiefs to be ‘transparent and break down the income it receives so that the public can see what is generated through parking’.
Last year, airport chiefs decided to implement barrier-free parking as the terminals were increasingly affected by congestion due to the airport’s growth. Bosses claim it now takes an average of three minutes for people to pick up and drop off, and most motorists pay less than under the previous arrangements.
Following contentious changes implemented last year, drivers can no longer pay for parking on site and must instead fork out a minimum of £5.50 online by midnight the following day.
However, many forget and are hit with a hefty £100 late payment fee. This has sparked outrage in Parliament over an ‘unfair’ system that leaves people facing a massive bill for just a few minutes of parking.
Peter Walsh, 80, a grandfather from Middleton, is among those who have been caught out. He was slapped with a £200 charge after forgetting to pay the £5 fee for two trips to the airport last summer.
“I’m absolutely furious,” he told the MEN.
Nicola Maher, 46, from Stockport, was stunned to receive a £170 demand from a debt recovery agency after she forgot to pay a £5 charge for dropping her father, Ray Watson, at Terminal 2 for a flight to Tenerife. She said it was ‘so wrong’.
The MP for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton, Jim Royton, has previously lambasted the ‘unfair’ charging system in Parliament.
After our disclosure about the revenue generated from parking, he told the Manchester Evening News: “Manchester Airport is a hugely important asset to our region, however, these figures show just how significant that income has become, with an estimated £189 million generated each year, including late payment charges.
“The airport should be transparent and break down the income it receives so that the public can see what is generated through parking people plan and accept the cost of, how much is raised through drop off and pick up charges, and importantly how much is made through penalties and fines when people often get caught out.
“I’ve been campaigning on this issue for a significant period now because the problem has never been the principle of charging, it’s a system that too often catches people out through confusing payment arrangements and disproportionate penalties often because of the lack of on the spot payment methods for drop off and pick up visits.”
Manchester Airport Group (MAG), which operates Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports, reported revenue totalling £1,515m for the year ending March 2024, up £172m or 12 per cent compared to the previous year, according to the firm’s recently published accounts.
By far the largest chunk of the group’s revenue came from Manchester Airport, £630m, which rose by £68m or 12 per cent compared to the previous year.
The Manchester Evening News calculates – based on a breakdown of the revenue provided for the parent company but not each individual airport – that Manchester Airport brought in roughly £189m from parking charges during the latest financial year. Manchester Airport rolled out a barrier-free parking system across all its terminals this year – with the MEN highlighting how numerous drivers were hit with a £100 late payment fee for forgetting to pay by midnight the day after their parking session, which often lasts just a few minutes.
The most recent accounts reveal that MAG – one third of which is privately owned by investment fund IFM and the remainder by the ten councils of Greater Manchester – raked in £516m from aviation, £452m from parking and £375m from retail, contributing to its total revenue of £1,515m.
This indicates that the company earned nearly as much from parking as it did from aviation, with parking accounting for 30 per cent of the total revenue. Airport chiefs say this is consistent with other airports.
No detailed breakdown is provided for each airport in the accounts, but applying the same 30 per cent figure to Manchester Airport’s £630m revenue suggests parking revenue of an estimated £189m, up an estimated £20m compared to the previous year.
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said: “Here at Manchester Airport we are proud to connect the North to the world via a route network that is unrivalled by any other UK airport outside the capital and in award-winning facilities like our brand-new £1.5bn Terminal 2.
“We offer parking and transport options to suit all budgets and preferences. Eight days’ parking in one of our own JetParks car parks starts at around £75, which is significantly cheaper than most public car parks. We also offer a free drop-off service and are proud to be the only airport in the UK with a dedicated train, bus and tram station on-site meaning public transport to the airport is easy and affordable.
“The same applies to the facilities on offer in our departure lounges. From quiet seating areas, convenience stores and coffee shops, to food courts, family restaurants and lounges, our aim is to cater for everyone.
“By maximising the choice of destinations passengers have and the options available to them when they travel through the airport, our aim to to make the total cost of holidays and business trips as great value as possible for everyone.”