Stansted will see its busiest Christmas in three years as more than 1.2 million people are travelling through the airport over the festive period.
Winter sun-seekers and skiers are among the 650,000 passengers who are flying out from Stansted between December 16 and January 3, while 550,000 will be arriving at the airport during the same period.
In contrast, 300,000 passengers flew out during the same time last year while Covid restrictions were still in place.
Friday (December 23) is set to be the festive season’s busiest day with 78,000 passengers flying in and out, and 4,000 are estimated on Christmas Day.
Spanish hotspots such as Malaga, Alicante and the Canary Islands are popular destinations, along with southern Turkey, Portugal and Dubai.
Skiers are heading to the slopes in France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia while New Year’s Eve breaks to Edinburgh, Vienna, Amsterdam, Dublin and Barcelona are also popular.
Anita Harrison, Stansted’s customer operations director, said the airport is one of the fastest recovering hubs in the UK.
“We recommend that customers prepare for security checks before they leave home to avoid any unnecessary delays and allow plenty of time for their journey to the airport to make sure their holidays get off to a stress-free and enjoyable start,” she added.
“Passengers should follow their airline’s advice about when to arrive at the terminal for check-in or bag drop, and we also suggest they check in advance for any public transport travel alterations, especially as more train strikes are planned across the festive season.”