Late summer sun drives record-breaking September at London Stansted

Strong demand for late summer sun and long weekend breaks helped London Stansted welcome a record-breaking 2.88m passengers in September.

The record monthly total was an increase of 6.4% on the same month last year and beat the previous record for September - set in 2024 - by 170,000 passengers.

The top sunshine destinations during the month were Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Faro and Malaga with Dublin, Istanbul, Barcelona and Rome some of the most in-demand short break and city destinations.

The most popular countries across August were Spain, Italy, and Turkey.

Stansted recorded 12 days in the month when passenger numbers topped 100,000, having never previously exceeded that number during September.

The airport’s rolling 12-month passenger total now stands at 30.87m, up 2.9% on 2025.

The month also saw Stansted’s transformation programme pass two significant milestones, including the 12.8MW on-site solar farm becoming operational to begin helping power the airport.

In addition, the airside passenger bussing facility and link bridge were both successfully removed, clearing the way for foundation works to begin for the new terminal extension, marking the move from the demolition to the construction phase of the project.

Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said:

“Following our busiest ever summer season, we saw no let up during September as the strong demand continued as we once again welcomed record breaking numbers of passengers to the airport, all taking advantage of the choice, value and reliable service we offer at London Stansted.

“The continued growth in passenger numbers highlights the vital role we play in connecting people, businesses and communities across our region with destinations across Europe and beyond.

“Alongside this growth, we are continuing to make good progress with our transformation programme which is designed to deliver an even better passenger experience while supporting our long-term sustainability ambitions.

“I’m delighted our new solar farm is now up and running and helping power the airport, while we have now completed key enabling works for the terminal extension which moves this project to its next phase.

“Our focus now turns to preparing for the half-term holidays, which we expect to be another busy period for the airport, so our teams will be working hard to deliver the best possible experience for every passenger choosing to fly from London Stansted.”