Stansted first UK airport to hit pre-pandemic passenger highs as Europe jets off
London Stansted has become the first major UK airport to achieve above pre-covid passenger numbers in any single month since before the pandemic, with this July the third busiest in its history.
According to figures shared with City PM total passenger numbers for the period hit 2.81m, which is 102 per cent of the volumes it served in July 2019.
The Independent first reported that the airport handled an average of 90,322 passengers per day last month, up from 88,709 in 2022 and only pipped by August in the two years prior to the pandemic – 2018 and 2019.
It means the northeast London hub has beaten a slew of competition in its post-pandemic recovery, with other major hubs such as Heathrow and Gatwick still waiting for that fabled return to normality.
Gareth Powell, London Stansted managing director, told City PM “This was our busiest July ever, and the third busiest month on record at 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.”
The busiest day of the month for Stansted was Monday 31st with 96,500 passengers using the airport. This was also the busiest day of the year to date, according to the airport.
Spain, Italy and Turkey were the most popular destinations for holidaymakers, with Brits flocking to Dublin, Istanbul and Palma De Mallorca – Stansted’s three most popular city destinations in July.
Powell added: “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.”
“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.
Figures shared with City PM also show a speedy service and strong performance in getting passengers past security, with 97 per cent making it through in 15 minutes or less.
It comes during a record breaking summer for airlines, who have seen travel demand skyrocket despite ongoing inflation and a challenging macroeconomic backdrop.
Ryanair – a major airline for Stansted – today reported its busiest month in history, carrying 18 million passengers across Europe.