The number of passengers using Stansted topped 19 million over the last 12 months, the highest level in more than four years.
Almost 1.9 million passengers used the airport in September, the biggest monthly increase in eight years, taking its moving annual total to 19.1 million, the highest level since mid-2010.
The airport, taken over by Manchester Airports Group last year as part of a forced sale by competition authorities, is clawing its way back after passenger numbers slumped during the recession to 17.3 million.
While it is still some way off its peak of 24 million passengers a year, reached in 2007 before the banking crisis, Stansted managing director Andrew Harrison said he is encouraged by the rapid improvement.
He told the Telegraph: “To see 1.6 million more passengers fly from Stansted in the first 19 months of ownership by MAG and once again break through the symbolic 19 million figure is the latest milestone on the road to delivering a sustained period of growth for the airport.
“It was only five months ago that Stansted passed the 18 million passenger mark so this rapid increase in passengers is another clear demonstration of how the airport is flourishing under MAG’s ownership.”
Stansted is playing a key part in Ryanair’s expansion ambitions as it seeks to attract more business passengers and families.
New routes such as Larnaca, Dortmund, Athens and Dundee were added in September while airlines also offered increased frequencies to cities such as Milan, Rome, Berlin and Dublin.
The Stansted figures came as both Heathrow and Gatwick reported a strong September performance.