London Stansted welcomed over 2.8 million passengers last month, equating to 102 per cent of the numbers achieved in July 2019.
The figure is also up 13 per cent in July 2019, and is the airport’s third busiest month in its history, beaten only by August 2018 and August 2019.
The last day in July was Stansted’s busiest this year so far, with 97,000 passengers travelling through the airport.
The news follows the announcement that London Heathrow welcomed 7.6 million passengers in July, represented the fifth highest monthly passenger numbers recorded at the airport – but still slightly down on July 2019.
Stansted said that Dublin was the most popular destination last month, followed by Istanbul and Palma de Mallorca.
The airport said that 97 per cent of customers passed though into the departure lounge in 15 minutes or less, with an average queue time of under seven minutes across the month.
Commenting on the news 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 per cent 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.”
Last month Stansted airport celebrated the 80th anniversary of its runway, which officially opened in July 1943. The airfield originally opened as George Washington Field and was used as an American military base during World War Two.
The big picture: Stansted’s runway celebrates 80th anniversary
