Increase in Isle of Man TT air passengers in 2026

The number of people travelling to the Isle of Man during the TT period rose by just under 2% in 2026.

Although the number arriving by ferry dropped by 4% to 37,941, airline passengers increased by 6% to 56,106.

Although monitored over slightly differing timelines during the fortnight, the overall number of passengers recorded was up by 1,793.

The two-week road racing event, which ran from 25 May to 6 June, is a cornerstone of the summer hospitality season for many firms on the island.

While the opening week of the event saw the island enjoy fine weather, race week itself was plagued by heavy rain and fog.

Acknowledging there had been some "challenging weather conditions", airport director Mark Beveridge said it was nevertheless "fantastic to see so many visitors and residents travelling through the airport and contributing to another successful TT".

Despite seeing the number of people arriving on the island by ferry drop by 1,528 on 2025, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company chief executive Brian Thomson said the event "remains one of the most important events in the Island's calendar".

"And while numbers are slightly down on last year's record, tens of thousands of passengers still travelled with us," he added.

The government-owned ferry firm operated three vessels during the festival, with passengers carried to the island from Liverpool, Lancashire, Dublin and Larne by flagship vessel Manxman and fast craft Manannan.

Back-up vessel Ben-my-Chree operated freight only sailings during the period to maximise space for passengers and TT race teams on the other two vessels.

Visit Isle of Man, which is responsible for growing tourism on the island, has a target of boosting visitor numbers to 500,000 by 2032.

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