Stansted expects a busy Christmas

Report by John Lavabre

STANSTED Airport is to experience its busiest ever Christmas Day this year with a total of 17 departures and 18 arrivals.

Overall the airport expects to serve 250,000 passengers between Christmas Eve and January 2. The busiest day of all will be December 28, when more than 43,000 people are expected to travel. The top five routes will be Dublin, Prestwick, Edinburgh, Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

The airport has issued the following advice to travellers over the Christmas period to ensure an easy journey;

*  Leave presents unwrapped, as they may need to be inspected by security

*  Try not to take electrical items as they will be thoroughly checked

*  Only take one piece of hand luggage

*  Pack your own bags and do not accept gifts from anyone else

* If you are intending to travel with Christmas crackers check with your airline first as some will only permit passengers to travel if they are in a sealed box.