London Stansted has become the first major UK airport to achieve above pre-Covid passenger volumes in any given month, as more than 2.8m passengers passed through the terminal in July, equivalent to 102% of the total served in July 2019.
The start of peak summer holiday season also saw the airport experience its busiest ever July, up 13% on last year’s total, and the third busiest month in Stansted’s history.
The airport handled an average of 90,322 passengers per day during the month, up from 88,709 in 2022 and only topped by August in the two years before the pandemic.
A total of 97,000 passengers travelled through the airport on July 31, making it its busiest day of the year so far.
As passenger numbers increased, queueing times for security remained low, with 97% of passengers passing through into the departure lounge within 15 minutes or less, and with an average security queue time of under seven minutes across the month.
Dublin was ranked as the most popular destination to fly to in July followed by Istanbul in Turkey and Palma in Majorca.
The month also saw the airport celebrate the 80th anniversary of its runway, which was originally constructed during World War II as an American Air Force base, as well as the latest visit of a US President as Air Force One and Joe Biden arrived ahead of the President’s audience with His Majesty The King.
Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said:
“Having handled more than 2.8m passengers in July, we are proud to be the first major UK airport to report volumes in excess of what we saw in 2019, before the pandemic.
“In fact, this was our busiest July ever, and the third busiest month on record at the London Stansted.
“This performance reflects our position as the number one airport in the UK for direct flights to Europe, as well as the great value, convenience and service we offer to passengers.
“Our summer getaway has got off to a very strong start thanks to the hard work and dedication of our colleagues and great collaboration with all our airport partners.
“As a result, more than 97% of passengers passed safely through security in less than 15 minutes, with London Stansted also experiencing very few flight cancellations. We are confident this strong performance will continue across the busy weeks ahead.
“We’re also delighted to have received the highest possible rating from the CAA for the service we provide to passengers with reduced mobility, which reflects the work that we’ve done to provide an inclusive experience for all our passengers through investment in infrastructure, equipment, and staff.
“People are choosing to fly from London Stansted in record numbers thanks to the great value and choice we offer, and we are confident this trend will continue across the remainder of the summer.”
