Three bank holiday weekends and the start of the summer half-term week contributed to a busy May for Luton airport, which saw passenger numbers rise to 1.5 million last month.
Its year-to-date passenger total is almost 6.2 million – an increase of almost 45% on the same period last year.
Amsterdam, Dublin, Istanbul, Lisbon and Paris were particularly popular with passengers flying out for bank holiday weekend city breaks.
Greece, Portugal, Spain and Turkey were among the busiest holiday destinations as families headed out for the half-term holiday the end of the month.
Last month also saw the opening of Australian-inspired coffee house, Avalon, and pan-Asian noodle bar Chopstix.
Alberto Martin, airport chief executive, said: “May proved to be another busy and exciting month for London Luton Airport, with passenger numbers continuing to rise, new destinations appearing on our departure boards and two eye-catching new restaurants.
“Together with our simple and friendly passenger experience and improved rail connectivity with the newly launched Luton Airport Express, it’s clear LLA’s appeal continues to grow.”
The Luton Airport Express, launched by East Midlands Railway (EMR), allows passengers to travel from central London to the airport in about 30 minutes.