Earlier this month, I reported on the sudden failure of Teesside Airport’s largest freight operator. But the latest passenger statistics, from April 2026, published on 17 June 2026, reveal that passenger operations are suffering too.
An annual comparison
Data supplied by the CAA shows passengers to and from all destinations on a monthly basis. This is April 2026 compared with April 2025:
So, the airport has reported a 6% drop in passenger numbers compared with the same month a year ago. Amsterdam remains the key airport in terms of passenger volumes, and is now the only regular Teesside destination that isn’t a holiday resort. However, daily flights between Teesside and Schiphol were reduced from three daily to two on 1 June.
How are the other regional airports faring?
Although numbers fell at Teesside between April 2025 and April 2026, Leeds Bradford Airport saw an increase in passenger numbers from 365,033 to 389,660 in the same period. Newcastle did even better. In April 2025, 423,371 passengers flew to and from the airport. By April 2026, this had increased to 469,777.
Rival airports
Leeds Bradford and Newcastle are perceived as rival airports to Teesside, at least on Teesside, but there’s really no comparison. Leeds Bradford’s passenger volumes are more than 18 times those of Teesside. The gap between Newcastle and Teesside is even wider; 22 times more passengers use Newcastle Airport compared to its Teesside ‘rival’.
Rolling annual total
Monthly comparisons can be distorted by unusual spikes/troughs, or seasonal variations. A more reliable metric can be achieved by measuring the number of airport passengers over each 12-month period, and comparing it with the previous one. Using this measure, we can see that annual passenger numbers at Teesside Airport peaked at 261,444 in the 12 months to December 2025, but have fallen slightly since then. However, the rolling annual total is still 10% higher than it was in April 2025.
But this isn’t enough
Research conducted by the Airports Council International indicates that airports with fewer than one million passengers each year struggle to achieve profitability due to their high level of fixed costs. Going forward, with annual passengers at only 25% of the minimum necessary to achieve profitability, it is difficult to see how Teesside Airport will ever be viable as a passenger airport.
Can freight help?
Freight volumes at Teesside Airport reached their highest volume ever in April 2026, following the introduction of European Cargo services between Teesside Airport and China the previous month. However, these services were suspended on 19 May when the company went into administration, so tonnages will have started to reduce from May onwards.
Excess baggage
Teesside Airport is carrying a debt burden of £155mn, and has never repaid any interest on its loans. At the last count, £27mn in unpaid interest had accumulated on these loans. This situation is only likely to deteriorate in the near future.
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