20 Jul Euros woe turns to holiday heaven as London Stansted gears up for busiest summer ever
While many of us are suffering a post-Euros hangover, spirits remain sky high at London Stansted as it gears up for its busiest summer ever, when an estimated 4.3 million passengers are expected to take to the air over the school holidays.
During the next six weeks, an average of 97,000 passengers a day are predicted to pass through the airport, heading to popular sunspots like the Spanish Costas, Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Dubai, Algarve in Portugal, Turkey, and Greek Islands, as well as tens of thousands of overseas visitors choosing Stansted as their gateway to holidaying in the London and across the East of England.
Passengers heading away from the airport this summer are reminded to follow a few simple steps to make sure they have a smooth start to their trip.
Plan your journey to the airport in advance, checking for any road or rail disruption that could affect your travel.
Follow your airline’s advice about when to arrive at the terminal for check-in or bag drop.
The restrictions on liquids carried in hand luggage continue to apply so it’s important they are all under 100ml and fit in a single clear, resealable bag.
Passengers also need to remove electronic items from hand luggage, including laptops and iPads, and place separately in trays, as well as taking off jackets and coats, emptying pockets and removing belts before passing through the security scanners.
As part of the airport’s preparations for the summer peak, several new and improved food options have opened including the new Café Bar in Satellite Two gate area, plus the first grab and go food and drink unit so passengers can pick up a hot snack before take-off at any time of the day or night.
The main departure lounge has undergone improvements, including new toilet facilities, extra water fountains, and refurbished seating areas. While outside the terminal, a new high-speed electric vehicle (EV) charging hub and two new drive-thru food outlets have landed on the main road into and out of the airport.
The airport has also launched its new ‘Save Money. Holiday Better.’ booklet in time for the summer holidays, offering passengers special money-off deals and free gifts, plus exclusive kids eat for free vouchers as part of the shopping experience in the terminal. Booklets can be downloaded here or picked up at various point around the terminal.
Jonathan Fowler, London Stansted’s Chief Operating Officer, said:
“London Stansted has seen recording breaking passenger numbers every month this year, and we are now set to experience our busiest ever summer as millions prepare to jet off during the school holidays.
“The UK’s rather damp summer has clearly encouraged many people to take advantage of the choice, value and simplicity of using London Stansted. With many schools set to break up on Friday or early next week, we expect to welcome more than four million passengers during the next six weeks to visit one of Europe’s favourite holiday hotspots, or fly further afield to Dubai and the 150 destinations available via Emirates’ onward connections.
“We always work hard to ensure our passengers have the best possible service when using London Stansted, and despite this year being busier than ever, thanks to the hard work and dedication of all our colleagues and our partners across the airport, we have constantly delivered a smooth and easy journey for passengers through the terminal.
“As the peak summer holiday getaway gets underway, we know this is an even bigger challenge our teams, but I’m confident we will continue to drive forward our plans to create a positive and enjoyable airport experience and ensure passengers get their holidays off to the best possible start when choosing to fly from London Stansted.”
