Almost one million passengers passed through Birmingham Airport last month, making it the busiest June in the airport’s history. A record 988,916 people chose the Midlands airport throughout June, beating its previous record for the month, set in June 2014 by 2.8%. Long-haul traffic experienced significant growth in June, up 20% compared to the same period last year.

Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’s chief executive, said: “Throughout 2015, we’ve seen passenger records smashed almost on a monthly basis and June was no different. It was particularly pleasing to see long-haul traffic increase by 20% too, compared to the same period last year; a clear sign that demand continues to grow in this market.

“We’re expecting our long-haul traffic to increase further in the coming months, following the recent launch of direct charter flights to Beijing, which will operate throughout the summer with Hainan Airlines. The route is proving to be incredibly popular with inbound and outbound passengers, offering plenty of encouragement for the future.”

June’s passenger numbers mean the Airport has now achieved five record-breaking months in 2015, as January, March, April and May also saw a record number pass through the terminal.

Scheduled traffic in June accounted for 77% of the total figure, with charter passengers making up the remaining 23%

One hundred percent growth and above was seen on scheduled routes to Keflavik, Perpignan, Amritsar, Madrid and New York JFK, as well as growth to La Rochelle (+81.7%), Delhi (+76.5%) and Athens (+62.9%).

Charter services to Munich (+206.7%), Alicante (+125.1%), Cancun (+100.2%) and Antwerp (+100%) also experienced significant growth.