Summer has arrived at Newcastle International Airport, and it is set to welcome over 1.3 million passengers through its terminal during the holiday period.

This number represents a significant increase of 10 per cent compared to the same time last year.

The airport has scheduled approximately 2,000 flights to various popular destinations, including Ibiza, Orlando, Cancun, and Palma.

Many passengers will also be connecting to further locations such as Las Vegas, Bangkok, and Istanbul.

This surge in passenger numbers can be attributed to the arrival of new airlines, AEGEAN and SunExpress, which now offer direct flights to Athens, Greece, and Antalya, Turkey.

The addition of these airlines, along with the airport's largest-ever program to Turkey, Greece, and the Canary Islands, is expected to entice more travellers to choose Newcastle as their departure point.

Nick Jones, Chief Executive at Newcastle International Airport, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming over 1.3 million passengers to the Airport over the summer period. The passenger experience is extremely important to us, and our teams have been working hard to prepare for the increase in operations."

In addition to the increased flight options, significant investments are being made to enhance the airport's facilities.

The refurbishment of all catering outlets is currently underway and is set to be completed within the next 18 months.

Starbucks and the foreign currency provider ChangeGroup have already opened, and a fresh-to-go food and drink outlet called Soul + Grain has recently debuted, just in time for the school holidays.