Easter travel advice as 1.4 million prepare to fly
The UK's number one gateway to Europe is preparing for one of its busiest periods of the year with hundreds of thousands of passengers set to use London Stansted this Easter.
Over the four-day Bank Holiday weekend, 350,000 people are predicted to pass through the airport, with Good Friday being the busiest day.
Across the two-week school Easter holiday period the airport is set to welcome 1.4 million passengers through its doors.
The Canary Islands, Turkey, Spain, and Dubai are among the top sun destinations from the airport, while France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and Scandinavia are popular for end-of-season skiers.
Thanks to the airport’s extensive European route network, there’s also high demand from overseas visitors looking for affordable and convenient access to London and the East of England.
Ahead of the getaway, the airport is asking passengers to follow the existing security rules before departure, even though it continues to make good progress on introducing new screening equipment as part of the UK-wide programme.
London Stansted's Chief Operating Officer, Jonathan Fowler, said:
"Over the Easter holiday period, 1.4 million passengers will pass through the airport and our staff will be working round the clock to ensure the best possible experience. The recent wet weather here in the UK has clearly encouraged many to take advantage of the choice, value and simplicity of using London Stansted to catch some much-needed sunshine, visit one of Europe’s great cities or head to the Alps for some end of season skiing.
“For a stress-free and enjoyable start to their holiday, we recommend customers prepare for security checks before leaving home to avoid any unnecessary delays. We are currently rolling out the new security screening equipment lane-by-lane at the airport, with several new lanes already in operation. However, we urge all passengers traveling through to follow all the existing hand luggage rules, which includes the limits on liquids, gels and pastes, which must be placed in a clear plastic bag in containers under 100ml and removing large electrical items, such as laptops, from hand luggage.”
The end of March also marks the start of the summer season for the aviation industry. Passengers travelling through the airport will see some new and exciting flights on its departure boards including the first ever scheduled service to Amman, Jordan.
With the new services, London Stansted will further strengthen its existing route network, which now covers over 190 destinations throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
“The summer ahead looks exciting for everyone connected with London Stansted and for the millions of passengers who will continue to take advantage of our extensive choice, great value and convenience. We have a host of new routes, including Royal Jordanian's new service to Amman, British Airways flights to Nice, Florence, and Ibiza, plus new routes from Ryanair, Jet2.com and Sun Express," said Mr Fowler.