Passengers top 29 million following busiest ever June at London Stansted

London Stansted passed the rolling 29 million passengers a year milestone for the first time in its history following its busiest ever June on record.

Stansted welcomed 2.8 million passengers in June, an increase of 8.3% on the same month last year, and 153,000 more passengers than the previous busiest ever June in 2019.

During the month Stansted also recorded its first ever 100,000 plus passenger days in the month of June, with more than 100,800 passengers passing through the terminal on 28 June. This was also the third busiest day ever at Stansted.

Operational performance in June remained good with 97% of departing passengers passing through security in 15 minutes or less.

In addition to many people heading off for an early summer holiday, the monthly total was also boosted by thousands of football fans heading to Germany to watch their teams compete at Euro 2024. London Stansted serves 10 German destinations, making all the tournament cities very accessible for England fans plus others based in the UK following their teams.

The airport also played host to Japan's Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako, who arrived on 22 June ahead of their three-day state visit to the UK, with the official welcoming party including London Stansted’s Operations Director, Nick Millar.

The top destinations during the month were Dublin, Istanbul and Palma, with the most popular countries being Spain, Italy and Germany.

Passenger numbers up 7% year on year at MAG airports

MAG is well-placed for a strong summer holiday season, as it celebrated surging passenger volumes and high levels of customer satisfaction last month.

In June, 6.3m passengers travelled through a MAG airport, which was 7% higher than the same month in 2023.

Rolling 12-month traffic figures show that the Group - which owns Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports - has served 62.6m passengers in the year to June 2024.

Manchester and London Stansted Airports continue to have record breaking months. Manchester Airport served serving 3m passengers in June - up 6.7% year-on- year. London Stansted welcomed 2.8m passengers across the month, a figure which was up 8.3% on June 2023.

East Midlands Airport served more than half a million passengers across June, up 3.1% year-on-year.

Operational performance across the Group remains strong, with 100% of passengers at East Midlands Airport passing through security in 15 minutes or less, with the figure standing at 97% at both Manchester and London Stansted Airports.

Passenger satisfaction levels also demonstrate the positive experiences travellers are having at MAG airports. In the first six months of the year, nine out of 10 passengers rated their experience as ‘Excellent’, ‘Very Good’, or ‘Good’.

Last week, MAG published its annual results, with the Group announcing it has served 61.3m passengers in the year ended 31 March 2024, alongside record revenues of £1.2bn. MAG is now embarking on an investment programme of £2bn over the next five years across the Group – including the completion of the Manchester Airport Transformation Programme in 2025.

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Jet2 to return of Iceland from London Stansted this winter.....

Those wanting to see the Northern Lights can take advantage of an expanded programme of flights to Iceland from London Stansted with Jet2 in winter 25/26.

The airline will fly twice-weekly (Wednesday and Sunday) to the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, from 26 October to 16 November 2025 and 11 March to 5 April 2026.

This means stays are available at key periods during winter 25/26 including over the October half-term and February half-term holidays.

The flights from London Stansted provide customers with plenty of flexibility, as well as being perfectly timed for those wanting to see the Northern Lights and enjoy Iceland at its best.

Neringa Ohrstrom, Head of Brand and Marketing at London Stansted:   "Iceland is such a popular destination that holidaymakers will be delighted to see this route added by Jet2.com and Jet2holidays for winter 25/26. Reykjavik is a wonderful city break, with plenty to do and see, but it's the country's jaw-dropping natural wonders that make it a spectacular place to visit.”

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2 and Jet2holidays, said:  “We are delighted to be announcing this exciting programme of scheduled services and once-in-a-lifetime trips to Iceland from London Stansted Airport for Winter 25/26. The programme has been put on sale early in response to the strong demand from customers and independent travel agents across the region, and it offers fantastic choice.

“The dazzling beauty of Iceland, coupled with the award-winning benefits available through Jet2CityBreaks, means we are confident that this programme will be another resounding success from London Stansted Airport, and we will see more customers than ever before visiting this breathtaking destination.”

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Emperor and Empress of Japan arrive ahead of state visit

Japan's Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako arrived at London Stansted on Saturday, June 22, ahead of their three-day state visit to the UK.

They arrived on board a Japanese government Boeing 777-300 shortly after 5.30pm, where Viscount Brookeborough, Lord-in-Waiting, officially welcomed them on behalf of King Charles III.

The welcome party also included His Excellency Mr Hajime Hayashi, Ambassador of Japan, and London Stansted’s Operations Director, Nick Millar.

London Stansted’s Operations Director, Nick Millar, said:  “Having the Emperor and Empress of Japan arrive at London Stansted is an incredible honour for everyone involved at the airport. This type of visit always requires detailed planning and excellent collaboration between many different businesses and organisations. Being able to accommodate such flights while maintaining our normal busy flight operations is a testament to both our proven track record in hosting high-profile flights, and the airport's excellent layout and high-quality private facilities."  

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Two people arrested following break in at London Stansted Airport and planes damaged.

Two protesters have been arrested by Essex Police after they cut their way into the private aviation area of London Stansted Airport and dowsed two aircraft with orange paint.

A spokesperson for the airport said "Shortly after 5am, Essex Police arrested two protesters who had entered the private aviation area of the airfield, away from the runway and main passenger terminal.  - No flights were disrupted, and the airport and flights are operating as normal".

Essex Police said: "Officers were on the scene within minutes and detained two people.

The airport and flights are operating as normal.

A 22-year-old woman from Brighton, and a 28-year-old woman from Dumbarton, have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and interference with the use or operation of national infrastructure."

The climate protest group Just Stop Oil said they were targeting Taylor Swift's private jet which they said was at the airport ahead of the Wembley Stadium leg of her Eras Tour scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

However, it is understood that Taylor Swift's private aircraft was not at the airport and for security reasons, such as this latest incident, she doesn't use it when on tour.

A worker at the airport said the damage to the two aircraft could run into thousands due to the corrosive nature and non-airworthiness of the paint used by the protesters. 

The eco-terrorist group that want fossil fuels to be phased out by 2030 have promised a summer of resistance where they will attack other targets. Earlier this week members of the group covered some of the ancient stones of Stonehenge in orange paint powder.

A security review is underway at the airport and Essex Police will increase its presence at the airport for the summer due to a heightened risk. Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said:  “I would like to reassure passengers and the wider public that we are well prepared and resourced to deal with incidents of this nature.

Almost immediately after we were made aware of this incident, which took place away from the main passenger terminal, we were on the scene.  We maintain a constant presence at the airport and this presence will be heightened over the summer period.  We have a good working relationship with Stansted Airport to ensure you can go about your travels with minimal impact. We are not anti-protest but we will always take action where criminal acts take place.”

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Four ski routes from London Stansted announce Jet2

The UK's leading holiday airline, Jet2 has just released details from its winter 25/26 programme from London Stansted featuring four top ski destinations. 

The carrier will operate flights to Chambery, Geneva, Grenoble and Salzburg from the airport next winter, giving skiers and snowboarders direct access to the French, Austrian and Swiss Alps. The airline says the flights will operate from December 2025 and throughout the winter season.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “The feedback from customers is that they are wanting to book ahead and secure their place on the slopes for next winter. We are always listening to our customers and responding to what they are telling us, so have put a fantastic ski programme on sale for winter 25/26 from London Stansted Airport.

With four ski destinations on sale, we are giving skiers and snowboarders the chance to book ahead and get access to some of the best ski resorts in Europe. Whether it is for a weekend, short break or longer, we are offering snow sports enthusiasts plenty of choice and flexibility to hit the slopes.

Skiers and snowboarders travelling with Jet2.com next winter can take advantage of our VIP customer service and 22kg of baggage and ski allowance and, for this reason, we expect our Winter 25/26 Ski programme to be a huge success.”

Image by Johnnie Shannon from Pixabay

Neringa Ohrstrom, Head of Brand and Marketing at London Stansted, said:  “The launch of Jet2.com’s winter 25/26 ski programme is great news for the airport and perfect for skiers who wish to visit the best resorts in the Alps. London Stansted offers more European destinations than any other UK airport flying to the finest ski areas across the continent, making it the ideal starting point for a wonderful winter sports holiday.”

The full ski programme from Jet2.com for winter 25/26 from London Stansted is as follows:

Therapy dogs paws-itively delight passengers

Therapy dogs interact with passengers and staff as part of Mental Health Awareness Week

Passengers travelling through London Stansted who are having a ruff day have been able to take advantage of the therapeutic benefits of cuddling a therapy dog to relieve anxiety.

The airport has teamed up with a trio of four-legged friends and their handlers from national charity, Pets As Therapy, to offer de-stressing services in the departure lounge to mark Mental Health Awareness Week.

Bella the black Labrador, Sammy the Samoyed and Cato the Chow Chow, who are trained to ease tension and stress in people, were very much in demand as passengers stopped by to enjoy a stroke and a cuddle.

Stephanie Putt, London Stansted’s Accessibility Manager, said:  “Bella, Sammy and Cato were very special guests and there was no doubt that their presence caught the attention of many passengers. Having the therapy dogs as part of our customer service team was wonderful, and they provided a unique experience for passengers travelling though London Stansted. We are also pleased to offer our colleagues new ways to support their mental health at work, so it was also good for the dogs to meet our terminal security team.”

London Stansted sets new passenger and cargo records in first month of summer season

London Stansted’s positive start to 2024 continued into April, as record volumes of both passengers and cargo passed through the airport.

Stansted welcomed 2.48 million passengers during the month to record its busiest ever April, beating the previous high set in 2019 by more than 90,000 passengers, and an increase of 5.5% on April 2023.

The 12-month total to the end of April stood at 28.64 million passengers, an increase of 10.8% on the previous year.

London Stansted’s cargo operation, which provides London and the East of England business communities with convenient access to Europe, USA, the Far and Middle East, also experienced a record-breaking month as more than 27,000 tonnes of freight passed through the airport in April, the highest monthly total ever. 

This global connectivity is vital to the business ecosystem, particularly in the Greater Cambridge area, supporting businesses in a wide range of sectors to trade globally, as well as facilitating international e-commerce.

Operational performance in April remained resilient, with 98% of departing passengers passing through security in 15 minutes or less, and with an average queue time of three minutes during the main departure peaks.

 Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said:   "April was another very strong month for London Stansted with both passenger and cargo numbers hitting new highs, thanks to our extensive passenger route network, the efficiency and simplicity of the airport’s operation and the global connectivity provided by our cargo carriers.

“The Easter holidays at the start of the month were particularly busy, but thanks to the dedication and teamwork shown by colleagues right across the airport, we were able to deliver a smooth airport journey for our passengers.

London Stansted gears up for UEFA European Championships - Euro 2024 - with 10 routes to Germany

In just over a month's time, London Stansted will be welcoming thousands of football fans travelling to Germany for the UEFA European Championships.

The airport serves ten German destinations, and all the tournament’s host cities are just a short flight away and easily accessible via public transport.

On June 16, England will play Serbia in Gelsenkirchen, which is about an hour from Dortmund and Cologne, both of which you can reach directly by flying with Ryanair from Stansted.

After that, the three lions will travel to Frankfurt to play Denmark and Cologne to play Slovenia. And if they make the next round, knockout games could take place in Stuttgart, Hamburg, and Munich.

Even Scotland fans can take advantage of Stansted's unrivalled European route network as they can jet down from Edinburgh and Glasgow and pick up flights to the tournament.

Memmingen is hour's train ride to Munich for their first game against the hosts on June 14. While flights to Cologne for the Swiss game on June 19, and Baden-Baden for Hungary on June 23 in Stuttgart are also available from the airport.

Whether you are looking for a last-minute flight to soak up the atmosphere or are lucky enough to have managed to get a ticket, here's how to get to each host city from London Stansted.

Annual passenger numbers across MAG airports increase by 13%

More than 61m passengers travelled through MAG airports in the 12 months to the end of March - up 13.4% year-on-year.

MAG – which owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports – served 4.6m passengers in March, equal to 103% of 2019 levels, and up 12.4% on the same month last year.

London Stansted recorded its busiest 12 months ever, with 28.5m passengers travelling through the airport in the year to the end of March 2024 – up 11.8% on last year. Across what was also its busiest March on record, London Stansted served 2.2m passengers – up 10.8% on last year and equal to 104% of 2019 levels.

61.3m passengers travelled through a MAG airport in the 12 months to March

UK’s largest airports group welcomed 4.6m passenger in March

London Stansted had its busiest 12 months on record – with 28.5m passengers travelling through the airport

Manchester Airport also had a record month, serving 2.2m passengers in March – the sixth consecutive month it recorded its best-ever performance. The figure was 104% of 2019 levels, up 12.3% year-on-year.

East Midlands Airport had the highest year-on-year increases in the Group this month – reaching an annual total of 4.1m passengers for the first time since 2019 – up 22.4% on last year. Across March, the airport welcomed 240,000 passengers, up 30.7% on the same months last year, and equal to 94% of 2019 levels.

Operational performance across the Group remains consistently strong, and in March 100% of passengers at all three airports passed through security in 15 minutes or less.

Record breaking January at London Stansted

London Stansted kicked off 2024 with another strong passenger performance to record the airport’s busiest-ever January.

Stansted welcomed 1.95 million passengers in January 2024, up 6.9% on the same month last year, and beating the previous best of 1.93 million passengers set in January 2019.

The number of passengers using London Stansted in the 12 months ending January 2024 reached 28.1 million, an increase of 14.8% on the previous year.

The top three most popular countries during the month were Spain, Italy and Poland, while the busiest routes were Dublin, Istanbul and Edinburgh.

Operational performance in January remained strong, with 99% of departing passengers passing through security in 15 minutes or less, and with an average queue time of under four minutes during the main departure peaks.

Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said:  “I’m really pleased we were able to deliver yet another the strong passenger performance last month, welcoming more passengers in January than ever before at London Stansted, and coming hot on the heels of a record-breaking December.

I’m also delighted our passengers continue to experience a smooth and efficient security operation when flying from the airport, which we aim to maintain as we welcome more passengers when they head off on half-term breaks this month, and as we build-up to what we anticipate will be a very busy Easter next month.

The year ahead looks really exciting for everyone connected with London Stansted, and the millions of passengers who will continue to take advantage of the extensive choice, great value and convenience we are able to offer.

We have a host of new routes launching this year, including Royal Jordanian’s new service to Amman next month, British Airways flights to Nice, Florence and Ibiza plus new routes from Ryanair, Jet2.com and Sun Express.   

And we will also continue driving forward our investment plans to transform the airport experience and operation. This will include the opening of a new EV charging forecourt, the commencement of work on our 14.3MW solar farm as well as finalising design details of our terminal extension ahead of the first phase of construction later in the year."

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Stansted set to welcome new routes in 2024

From Jordan to Florence, there are some exciting new flights that will be taking to the skies from London Stansted in 2024.

12 new services will be added to the airport's departure boards, giving people even more access to destinations from their local airport.

London Stansted serves more European destinations than any other UK airport and the new services will further strengthen its current route network, which now covers over 190 destinations across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Amman, Jordan – Royal Jordanian

An exciting new route will be added this spring when Royal Jordanian Airlines launches flights to Amman, Jordan’s capital. The flag carrier, a member of the oneworld Alliance which includes British Airways, will operate three flights a week starting March 3, increasing to four weekly flights during peak summer.

Flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays using the airline’s new Airbus A320 neo fleet with one-way fares from London starting at £257. The Stansted to Amman leg will depart mid-afternoon at 3.45pm and arrive at Queen Alia International Airport at 10.35pm.

Nice, Florence and Ibiza – British Airways

British Airways to return to London Stansted for Summer 2024

Travellers choosing to fly from London Stansted next summer have a new premium airline option, as British Airways returns to the north-east London airport. 

Launching on 18 May 2024, weekend flights from London Stansted to Florence, Ibiza and Nice will join BA Cityflyer’s operations for the summer season on its Embraer 190 aircraft. 

BA Cityflyer is a subsidiary of British Airways, which operates from London City Airport during the week to nearly 30 short-haul destinations. The new Stansted services will complement the existing weekday services from London City, plus recently added weekend services from Edinburgh to San Sebastian, Spain and Olbia, Sardinia.  

This will be the first time that British Airways has offered scheduled flights from Stansted since before the global pandemic, and it will become the fourth London airport to be served by the flag carrier. 

Each flight will offer two cabins: Club Europe (business class) and Euro Traveller (economy). Customers in Club Europe are offered a full meal service with drinks from the bar, priority board and additional baggage allowance.

Flights will be available from £41 each way to Florence, £36 each way to Ibiza and £43 each way to Nice. Flights are now live. 

Start date	Flight number / days of week	Departing destination	Arriving STN		Flight number	Departing STN	Arriving destination
Florence
18 May 2024	BA7016  Saturdays	14:15	16:30		BA7017  Sundays	06:30	08:45
Nice
18 May 2024	BA2332  Saturdays	09:20		11:20	BA2333  Sundays	06:55	08:55
Ibiza
18 May 2024	BA7308  Saturdays	09:35		12:05	BA7309  Sundays	12:50	15:15

 

UK’s largest airports group records positive half year results

A successful summer season delivered a positive first-half performance for MAG, leaving it in a strong position to continue its investment in its airports to improve customer service and support sustainable growth.

MAG (Manchester Airports Group), which owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports, today published its interim results for the period 1 April – 30 September 2023, during which it generated record half-year revenues of £705.6m (FY23: £565.2m).

Its airports collectively handled 34.9m passengers during the period, up 4.4m on the prior year. That represented just under 96% of pre-pandemic levels. In July, London Stansted became the first major airport to exceed pre-Covid volumes when compared to the same month in 2019, with Manchester marking that milestone in October, when East Midlands reached the 98% mark.

Manchester Airport welcomed 16.4m passengers between April and September, with 15.8m passing through London Stansted and 2.7m through East Midlands.

 Not only did all MAG airports increase passenger volumes between April-September, they delivered consistently good service levels, with the vast majority of passengers passing through security in 15 minutes of less throughout the summer (Manchester – 96%, London Stansted – 98%, East Midlands – 100%). In July, all three received the highest possible rating from the Civil Aviation Authority for the service they provide to passengers with assisted travel needs.

Jet2 to operate flights to Agadir and Marrakech from London Stansted

London Stansted will soon offer new flights and holiday packages from Jet2 to Morocco.

The airline will operate year-round to Agadir and Marrakech, with flights and holidays on sale for both Winter 24/25 and Summer 25.

Flights to Marrakech will be twice weekly between October 4th, 2024 and November 14th, 2025, while flights to Agadir will be also twice weekly between October 3rd, 2024 and November 16th, 2025.  

Simon Gorrighan, London Stansted’s Aviation Director, said:  “It's great news that Jet2 is adding even more destinations to its already impressive schedule from London Stansted. With these new flights to Marrakech and Agadir, passengers will have even more choice of great value flights and holidays with the convenience of flying from their local airport.”

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2 and Jet2holidays said:  “We are thrilled to be giving customers and independent travel agents even more choice from London Stansted Airport thanks to the launch of Morocco as a brand-new destination. With year-round availability to the magical destinations of Marrakech and Agadir, we are giving holidaymakers access to two famous holiday hotspots from their local airport. We are incredibly excited about these new destinations, and we know how immensely popular they will be with our customers.”

 “This latest expansion demonstrates the strength of our growing business, and it comes on the back of customers and independent travel agents across the region choosing to travel with us time and time again. Our award-winning proposition clearly continues to delight holidaymakers and we look forward to welcoming even more customers onboard thanks to the launch of these two brand-new destinations.”

London Stansted is hosting a local jobs fair to recruit hundreds of new employees a on 10th October

London Stansted is hosting its latest jobs fair to recruit hundreds of new employees ahead of a busy winter season.  More than 500 job openings will be on offer in the areas such as flight crew, baggage handling, security, retail, and hospitality at the airport's Radisson Blu Hotel on 10th October.

The jobs fair comes as Stansted continues to make the fastest recovery of any major airport in the UK following the pandemic with August the second busiest month on record.  The airport and some of its on-site business partners are now looking to recruit additional staff for the winter and busy Christmas travel season.

Stansted has welcomed more than 27 million passengers in the last 12 months and expects numbers to continue growing as passengers take advantage of the industry-leading choice, value and efficiency it offers.

Nathan Mullane, the airport’s Employment and Skills Manager, said:   “The jobs fair will feature over 500 vacancies, including those for cabin crew, engineers, and retail assistants. For those seeking employment in the aviation sector, the event will provide an excellent opportunity to meet employers, learn about job opportunities, and network. We are really focussed on attracting ambitious new colleagues from across the East of England and London with a passion for exceptional customer service to join us at London Stansted as the airport continues to increase passenger numbers with many new destinations and increased capacity on popular routes on offer this winter. Our team is looking forward to meeting many new prospective employees at the event and hopefully welcoming them into the team in the coming months.”

Some of the employers looking to meet new talent are Ryanair, TUI, Swissport, Border Force, World Duty Free and MAG London Stansted.  Those securing roles with MAG can also take advantage of a wide range of benefits.  These include discounts of up to 80% on public transport when travelling to work, free on-site car parking whilst working and when going on holiday, pension scheme, training programmes and retail discounts.

The Airport Academy will also be in attendance promoting its free pre-employment support programmes, including fully accredited training schemes for those who are on jobs seekers allowance, and require additional support before applying for the jobs.

The event will be held at the airport’s Radisson Blu Hotel between 10am and 2pm on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

Visitors will be offered free travel on public transport and free parking will also be available at the venue.

To find out more and to book a place on the jobs fair click here

Full Stansted Express timetable to return from December

The Stansted Express train service between London Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street will be fully restored to four trains per hour from December.

After reintroducing four trains per hour during peak hours in May, Greater Anglia is resuming the full every 15-minute pre-pandemic service on Sunday, December 10, in response to the continuing increase in passenger numbers at the airport.

Gareth Powell, Managing Director, of Stansted Airport said:  "London Stansted has been the fastest recovering major UK airport with passenger numbers exceeding pre-pandemic levels for the last two months.

We, therefore, welcome the upcoming reintroduction of the full four trains per hour schedule, as it's a vital service for the millions of passengers who rely on a convenient and reliable service between London and the airport each year.

A regular, turn-up-and-go service will not only encourage more passengers back onto trains and out of private cars to enable the most sustainable growth possible at the airport, and cement our position as the number one airport in the UK for public transport use by passengers, but it will also support our on-going work to attract more airlines looking to access the UK and London aviation market.

This is really positive news for passengers, staff and local commuters, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with Greater Anglia to develop further timetable enhancements and service improvements.”

London Stansted reports second busiest month ever as more than 2.91 million passengers use the airport in August

London Stansted rounded off the school holiday season by continuing to outpace the recovery of all major UK airports.

Figures released this week show that despite the significant impact of the national air traffic control failure on Bank Holiday Monday, August was Stansted’s second busiest month ever as more than 2.91 million passengers took advantage of the industry-leading choice, value and efficiency it offers.

The monthly total was up 12% on August last year, and equivalent to 102% of the number of people served in August 2019.

The airport also recorded its busiest day of the year with 100,561 passengers passing through the terminal on August 18. This daily total was the fourth busiest day ever at London Stansted.

The total number of passengers served at the airport in the 12-months ending August 2023 stands at 27.1 million, an increase of 40% on the previous year’s total.

Across the peak summer season between June and August, more than 8.31 million passengers passed through London Stansted.  Operational performance during this period remained strong, with more than 97% of passengers passing safely through security in 15 minutes or less.

Customer service feedback in July and August was also positive with 93% of passengers surveyed rating their overall satisfaction with the service they received as good, very good or excellent.

UK’s largest airport group served 5.8m passengers in June, equal to 96% of pre-pandemic levels

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) saw more than 5.8m passengers pass through its airports in June, an increase of 13.7% on June 2022.

The Group which owns Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports also recorded a rolling 12-month passenger total of more than 56 million passengers – up 67.8% on last year.

Manchester Airport served 2.8m passengers across the month – up 15% on June 2022, and London Stansted served 2.6m passengers – up 11% on last year. East Midlands Airport served 487,000 passengers in June, up 22% on June 2022.

All three airports passenger volumes were equivalent to more than 90% of June 2019 levels. London Stansted’s recovery continues to lead the way – and in June was 98% of 2019 levels. Manchester Airport’s passenger levels were equivalent to 94% and East Midlands’ stood at 91%. Collectively, the Group’s passenger figures were 96% of those seen in June 2019.

Across the early part of the summer season, MAG has delivered a consistent level of customer service for passengers. In the quarter from April-June 99% of passengers at East Midlands Airport passed through security in 15 minutes or less, the figure was 97% at London Stansted and 95% at Manchester. As the Group prepares for its busiest period when school holidays begin in July, it is working hard to ensure this high level of service continues.

London Stansted announce plans to extend terminal building....

This week London Stansted Airport executives announced plans to extend the terminal building and put in a planning application to the local authority shortly. 

The proposed scheme, which if approved will see a three-bay extension to the back of the terminal building, is designed to transform the airport experience. It will provide a more spacious departure lounge for passengers, including new shops, bars and restaurants, state-of-the-art check-in equipment, increased baggage system capacity and an enlarged security hall with additional space for more security lanes fitted with next-generation scanners. 

London Stansted has been one of the UK’s fastest recovering airports following the lifting of international travel restrictions last year, serving more than 26 million passengers in the last 12 months. 

Stansted is expected to pass pre-pandemic passenger levels during the coming year and is set for its busiest summer season on record. 

The extension will enable the airport to improve its capacity at busy times and cater for more passengers in the years ahead.  

The scheme is the result of extensive analysis of the options for adding terminal capacity, and the proposals represent the most efficient and timely way to improve all elements of the passenger journey through the airport, while also providing the extra space required to accommodate forecast growth. 

Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said:  “Our plan to invest in new facilities is great news for our customers, partners, and the region because it will provide additional terminal capacity and a better passenger experience for everyone travelling through London Stansted Airport.