2000s
By 2000, passenger figures had reached 3 million per year. A major £27 million terminal extension to double the size of the check-in hall was officially opened by Prime Minister Tony Blair in October 2000.
On May 4, 2001 the seven local authority share holders sold 49 per cent of the shares in the Airport Company to Copenhagen Airport, paving the way for an unprecedented period of growth and development which would transform Newcastle into one of Europe’s most successful regional airports.
The skies turned orange in March 2003 with the arrival of easyJet to Newcastle. This hugely significant event heralded the start of the low-cost revolution in the North East. 
The new ‘Newcastle International’ brand was launched in October 2003. A new brand, extra capacity, new routes and multi-million pound developments were all announced. 2003 was another record-breaking year for passenger figures too, hitting 3.9 million.
In August 2004, local celebrities Ant and Dec opened the latest terminal extension which doubled the size of the departure lounge and provided a wide range of new shops, services, restaurants and cafes.
Newcastle International was the fastest-growing regional airport in the UK in 2005 as passenger figures topped 5 million per year. With an average of one new route per month being added to the departure board, the number of destinations served from Newcastle grew to 86.
Newcastle International secured its first ever scheduled long-haul route with Emirates Airline, flying daily direct from Newcastle to Dubai and opening up onward connections to over 50 destinations. The route launched on September 1, 2007 and quickly became Emirates’ best performing new route in the UK.
A new state-of-the-art £8m air traffic control tower was opened in September 2007 by Rt Hon Nick Brown MP and the president of Emirates Airline, Tim Clark. At 45 metres tall, the Emirates Tower is over twice the height of the Angel of the North.
On November 8, 2007 Dave Laws was appointed as the airport’s new chief executive. Dave has worked at the airport since 1978, starting his career as a fire officer then working his way through many areas of the business including health and safety, personnel, passenger services, aeronautical relations and commercial.
In July 2008, Newcastle International acquired Samson Aviation Services Ltd, the private aviation business located on the south side of the airport site. The deal formed part of Newcastle International’s wider plans to redevelop the entire south side of the airport, including the expansion of Newcastle College’s Aviation Academy.
2010 saw the airport celebrate its 75th anniversary with a year of special events. On the anniversary day itself, 26 July, a number of airline partners marked the occasion by operating aircraft rarely seen at Newcastle, which brought in thousands of aviation enthusiasts and the general public alike.
In 2011, the airport completed the sale of the new hotel building on site, handing the keys to the DoubleTree by Hilton brand, bringing a fantastic new name to the range of high-profile companies already in place at the airport.
2012 will see the completion of a £3.2m terminal extension, creating an additional 5,242 sq ft of security search accommodation. The enhanced area will be equipped with the latest in security screening technology to ensure that the customers pass though this stage of their journey as swiftly and comfortably as possible.
