Stansted claims to have become the first major UK airport to achieve above pre-Covid passenger volumes in July.
The month was the third busiest ever at the airport, only beaten by August in 2018 and 2019.
The total of 2.8 million was equivalent to 102% of the volume served in July 2019, with numbers more than 13% up on the same month last year.
The busiest day of the month and the year to date was July 31 with 96,500 passengers.
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The busiest for departing passengers was July 28 with 51,000, the second highest level on record behind August 2, 2018.
The Essex airport, which has a network of 180 European destinations, reported that 97% passengers passed through security in 15 minutes or less last month.
The top three destinations were Dublin, Istanbul and Palma, with the top three countries being Spain, Italy and Turkey.
Managing director Gareth Powell said: “Having handled more than 2.8 million passengers in July, we are proud to be the first major UK airport to report volumes in excess of what we saw in 2019, before the pandemic.
“In fact, this was our busiest July ever, and the third busiest month on record at London Stansted.
“This performance reflects our position as the number one airport in the UK for direct flights to Europe, as well as the great value, convenience and service we offer to passengers.”
He added: “Our summer getaway has got off to a very strong start thanks to the hard work and dedication of our colleagues and great collaboration with all our airport partners.
“As a result, more than 97% of passengers have passed safely through security in less than 15 minutes, with London Stansted also experiencing very few flight cancellations.
“People are choosing to fly from London Stansted in record numbers thanks to the great value and choice we offer, and we are confident this trend will continue across the remainder of the summer.”
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