Luton airport passenger numbers rose 49% year-on-year in March to 1.2 million.
It was the second consecutive month that the airport exceeded one million passengers and gave a first quarter total of almost 3.3 million.
The figures for last month emerged as a non-stop East Midlands Railway service from London St Pancras station was unveiled, connecting to the airport’s new Dart electric people mover which has replaced a previous bus transfer.
A journey time of around 30 minutes is being claimed to help attract more Londoners to the airport.
Operations director Neil Thompson said: “It’s great to see a continued rise in our year-on-year passenger numbers, a demonstration of the obvious appetite for air travel in 2023, and London Luton airport’s appeal.
“The launch of the Luton Airport Express service, alongside the Dart, will be transformational, providing passengers arriving by rail with a faster, more frequent service from central London, as well as direct, seamless and more sustainable connections from more than 60 stations across the rail network.”
The airport handled more than 420,00 passengers during February half-term week, contributing to the first quarter figures.
Istanbul, Izmir, Murcia and Belfast are among new destinations over the coming months with Amsterdam, Paris, Malaga and Kefalonia tipped as being among the top spots for the summer peak.
Luton airport marks its 85th birthday with continued investment in the terminal facilities including sushi specialist Yo!, Italian casual dining restaurant Nolito, Australian artisan coffee house Avalon and noodle bar Chopstix.
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