December 29 is forecast to be the busiest day of the festive season at Stansted with 88,000 passengers set to travel.
Christmas Day will be the quietest during the holiday period with an estimated 3,500 passengers.
December 20 is likely to be the busiest for pre-Christmas departures with 45,000 passengers heading overseas.
More than 1.2 million travellers are due to fly to and from the airport between December 19 and January 5.
Spain is the top Christmas destination, with Malaga, Alicante and the Canary Islands the most popular.
Winter sun flights to southern Turkey and Portugal will also be busy alongside Emirates’ service to Dubai.
Destinations in eastern France, northern Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia are attracting skiers.
Popular new year’s eve breaks include Edinburgh, Vienna, Amsterdam, Dublin and Barcelona.
Stansted is advising passengers to leave extra time to get to the airport, prepare for security before leaving home and to check in advance for any public transport travel alterations.
Head of security James von der Fecht said: “Christmas is always a very busy time for the airport with people heading off for winter sun or some early snow in the Alps.
“We’ve more than 1.2 million passengers passing through the airport during the holiday period, so we suggest passengers allow plenty of time for their journey to the airport.
“Our staff will be working around the clock over the festive period 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 to make sure their holidays get off to a stress free and enjoyable start.”