Newcastle International Airport’s Christmas getaway in full swing

With the festive season just around the corner, Newcastle International Airport’s annual Christmas getaway is well underway – as thousands of travellers jet off to celebrate in all corners of the globe.

Over 217,000 passengers are set to pass through the terminal doors between December 15th and 6th January 2019, whether it be to make special family visits or to escape the chilly British winter.

With the launch of the NCL Airport app, and a multi-million pound expansion of the border hall, 2018 has been another successful year for Newcastle International Airport.

Over the past year, the most popular destinations among the North East travelling public have been mainland Spain, Dubai and the Canaries – with thousands of travellers choosing to enjoy the tropical temperatures and cultural experiences on offer.

However, during the recent winter season, holidaymakers have opted for destinations with cooler climates, such as Paris and some of Geneva’s famed skiing spots.

During 2018, customers passing through the departure lounge have purchased a whopping total of 72,800 bottles of sun cream and 22,000 pairs of sunglasses in preparation for their holidays.

Passengers also purchased enough Toblerone to line the runway almost two-and-a-half times and an equal volume of coffee to fuel a Boeing 777 aircraft to Dubai and back.

The North East travelling public chose comedian David Walliams as their most popular author for on-flight reading, as copies of his books were the most picked up in WHSmiths.

Staff from all departments of the airport joined together to take part in a signed version of ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ – done in Makaton, a form of sign language designed to support spoken language.

Carol singers from Ponteland First School, West Rainton Primary School and Norton Primary Academy also paid a visit to the terminal to spread some Christmas cheer.

Nick Jones, Chief Executive at Newcastle International Airport said: “The airport is a very atmospheric and special place to be at this time of year, as travellers jet off to enjoy some winter sun or families wait for their loved ones to return to the North East for Christmas.

“We are always very busy over the festive period and we will be working hard throughout the holidays to ensure that all of our passengers have a pleasant trip – whether it be outbound or coming home.”

The airport is also looking ahead to a very happy New Year, with the brand new service to London City Airport with Flybe, operated by Eastern Airways, launching in January.