According to Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry data, this year’s TT festival attracted a record attendance. Now able to operate at increased capacity to Heysham, Liverpool, Belfast and Dublin with three vessels available – the Manxman, Manannan and Ben-My-Chree – the ferry service carried a total of 37,808 passengers between 22 May and 7 June.
This was the highest number travelling during the races since 1986, apart from the 2007 TT Centenary Festival. It was also 11% up on last year and higher than the three previous events in 2018, 2019 and 2022.
The number of motorcycles ridden onto Steam Packet ferries grew by 13% to 13,385. They were joined by 5488 cars and vans, a 9% increase. Many of the vans would have been loaded with more motorcycles, and some of the cars would have been towing motorcycles on trailers. And 15% more freight was also shipped to the Island by Steam Packet ferries, compared to the same period in 2023.
Passenger numbers through the Isle of Man’s Ronaldsway Airport were 7% up to 60,163 over the TT period too. The airport’s busiest day was 3 June. Arrivals totalled 30,027 and departures 30,136, on scheduled flights, light aircraft and private jets. During the 2023 TT, 56,039 people flew in or out of Ronaldsway. Airport director Gary Cobb said the 2024 figures represented a 46% increase from the TT’s post-Covid revival two years ago but were still 18% below the numbers from 2019.