London Stansted Airport had its busiest September ever, with a total of 2.71 million passengers passing through its gates. This high number of passengers shows the strong demand for short breaks and late summer getaways that extended beyond the peak holiday season.
Compared to the previous year, there was a 3.4 per cent increase in passenger numbers, surpassing the record set in September 2018 by over 31,000 passengers. The top destinations for sun-seekers included Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga, Antalya, and Faro, while Dublin, Istanbul, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Rome were popular choices for short breaks and city trips.
Travellers showed a preference for Spain, Italy, and Turkey as their top countries to visit. The airport’s operational performance was commendable, with all passengers passing through security in 15 minutes or less and an average queue time of less than two minutes during peak departure times.
Over the 12 months leading up to the end of September, the total number of passengers reached 29.35 million, marking a 7.2 per cent increase from the previous year. Jon Fowler, the chief operations officer at London Stansted, expressed his delight at the airport’s ability to provide affordable and flexible travel options for passengers.
He highlighted the airport’s appeal to both holidaymakers seeking a late summer getaway and ‘weekenders’ looking to explore iconic European cities on short breaks. Additionally, Stansted continues to attract tens of thousands of overseas visitors who value the airport’s excellent value and convenient access to destinations like London, Cambridge, and the wider Eastern region.
Fowler credited the hard work and dedication of airport staff, as well as collaboration with business partners, for delivering a strong and reliable level of customer service to the record-breaking number of passengers. As the airport gears up for the upcoming half-term holidays, the focus remains on maintaining a simple and efficient travel experience that passengers appreciate when choosing to fly from London Stansted.