United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Half-term propelled London Stansted to busiest ever May
A bumper half-term holiday week helped boost London Stansted’s May passenger numbers to a record-breaking 2.7 million.
This is the busiest ever May for the airport.
The monthly total was up 6.4% on May 2023, and surpassed the previous busiest ever May in 2019 by 143,000 passengers.
London Stansted saw 860,000 passengers at the airport during the half-term week, with more than 98,000 passing through the terminal on 27 May alone – the busiest single day of the year so far.
The 12-month rolling total to the end of May is 28.8 million passengers, an increase of 9.8% on the previous year.
Operational performance in May remained good with 97% of departing passengers passing through security in 15 minutes or less.
The top destinations last month were Dublin, Istanbul and Edinburgh, with the most popular countries Spain, Italy and Germany.
May also saw the return of British Airways, with new services to Ibiza, Nice and Florence.
Stansted also welcomed the first electric vehicle charging forecourt.
A new multi-year partnership with London Stadium was also announced during the month.
The busy passenger traffic is set to continue with thousands of football fans heading to Germany for Euro 2024 over the next few weeks..
London Stansted serves 10 German destinations meaning all the host stadiums are easily accessible for England and Scotland fans.
James Richardson, London Stansted’s Finance Director, said: “The range of destinations and efficient airport operation continues to drive strong demand in May.”
“Ahead of the main summer getaway, we expect this month to be yet another busy period for the airport.”
Related News Stories: MSC Cruises – TravelMole
Related News Stories: Bumper Half-Term Holiday Propels London Stansted to New ... Half-term getaway helps London Stansted record busiest ever May London Stansted Airport has busiest ever May, before busiest ever ... Busiest day in history as half-term holidays help break passenger ... Flying start to summer getaway as London Stansted records busiest ... Manchester handled 2.5m passengers up 12% in May TRAFFIC – Airport World London Stansted sees busiest day in history with over 107,000 ... Passenger records tumble as busiest ever month rounds off a record ... London Heathrow Airport - AeroTime
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Exploring Brooklands Museum with Alex Patterson
Global Tourism Challenges and Upcoming Events: A Conversation with Don Welsh
Peebles Barbeque: A Legacy of Flavor and Tradition
Exploring Bok Tower Gardens with Erica Smith
Rue’s Living Water Boat Cruises: Exploring Winter Haven’s Chain of Lakes
Durango and Silverton Railroad: A Timeless Journey Through History and Scenic Beauty
Walt Leger on New Orleans’ Resilience and Major Events Ahead
Cindy Mackin Shares Estes Park’s Winter Thrills
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
Qatar Airways adding Manchester flights
EU entry-exit system delayed again
ATC strike in Greece could disrupt flights this week
Jet2 unveils Samos as new Greek destination for summer 2026
Icelandair launches inaugural flight to Nashville