In 2017, 904,292 passengers passed through Exeter Airport, en route to some 40 destinations across the UK and Europe, which was an increase of 66,000 passengers on the year before.

Exeter Airport was dubbed the ‘happiest in the world’ in December by a global survey which ranked 160 airports by customer feedback using the HappyorNot ‘smiley face’ instant feedback system.

Managing director Matt Roach said: “We’ve seen another year of solid growth as more people take advantage of the range of destinations available from their local airport. We have a strong network of scheduled flights to key UK cities including London, Manchester and Newcastle, and across Europe, and more people are realising the huge choice we can offer on their doorstep.

“In fact, rather than use congested airports in the South East, many passengers choose the ease and convenience of starting their journey with us by flying from Exeter to major hubs like Manchester, Paris, Amsterdam and Dublin, before picking up onward international flights.

“And we have a great range of holiday destinations and charter flights, although contrary to perception the latter only
make up a quarter of our traffic.”

Looking ahead, Matt added: “This year we want to build on the last five years of growth and further cement Exeter Airport’s role as a real driver of the local economy.”

The airport is currently investing over £6 million in major project to resurface its entire 1.3 mile runway and install new low-energy lighting. The project is due to be completed in March.