Stansted Airport is braced for its busiest Christmas for three years as more than 1.2 million people are set to travel through the terminal over the festive period.
Winter sun-seekers and skiers are among the 650,000 passengers who will be jetting out from Stansted between December 16 and January 3, while 550,000 will be arriving at the airport over the same period.
By contrast, 300,000 passengers flew out during the same time last year when Covid-19 restrictions were still in place.
Friday (December 23) is set to be the busiest day, with 78,000 flying in and out, while 4,000 are estimated on Christmas Day.
Spain’s winter sun hotspots of Malaga, Alicante and the Canary Islands are popular destinations this Christmas, along with flights to southern Turkey and Portugal, and to Dubai with Emirates.
Early-season skiers are heading to the slopes in France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Scandinavia while New Year’s Eve breaks to Edinburgh, Dublin, Barcelona, Vienna and Amsterdam are also popular.
Ahead of the getaway, and with rail strikes that might impact travel arrangements, the airport is encouraging passengers to take some simple steps to help their journey through the terminal go as smoothly as possible.
Anita Harrison, customer operations director, said: “London Stansted has been one of the fastest-recovering airports in the UK and we’re expecting this Christmas to be the busiest for three years.
“We’ve more than 1.2 million passengers passing through during the holiday period, so our staff will be working around the clock to provide the best possible service to all our passengers.
“We recommend that customers prepare for security checks before they leave home to avoid any unnecessary delays and allow plenty of time for their journey to the airport to make sure their holidays get off to a stress-free and enjoyable start.
“Restrictions on liquids carried in hand luggage continue to apply, so it’s important they are all under 100ml and fit in a single clear, resealable bag, and all electronic items, including laptops and iPads, need to be taken out of hand luggage and laid flat in your tray when you reach the security search area.
“Passengers should follow their airline’s advice about when to arrive at the terminal for check-in or bag drop, and we suggest they check in advance for any public transport travel alterations, especially as more train strikes are planned across the festive season.”
