LONDON — Stansted Airport has once again showcased its resilience, reporting its second busiest month on record despite the recent chaos inflicted by NATS, the UK's airspace operator. This remarkable achievement propels Stansted ahead of pre-pandemic passenger levels, leaving other major UK airports trailing in its wake.
In August, over 2.5 million passengers traversed through Stansted Airport, representing an impressive 12 percent year-on-year increase and narrowly surpassing the passenger figures from the same month in 2019. This achievement catapults the total number of passengers served at the airport for the year to over 27 million, a staggering 40 percent surge compared to last year's figures. Remarkably, the peak summer period accounted for nearly one-third of this total.
Stansted's remarkable resurgence has outpaced the recovery efforts of Heathrow and Gatwick, solidifying its position as a leading UK airport. Notably, Stansted achieved a significant milestone in July by becoming the first major UK airport to return to pre-pandemic levels of passenger traffic.
This year, Stansted has witnessed a substantial rebound in travel demand, with Spain, Italy, and Turkey emerging as the top three destinations among passengers during the summer season.
These impressive statistics come on the heels of a tumultuous month characterized by one of the most significant air traffic control failures in recent memory, orchestrated by NATS. This unfortunate event led to the cancellation of thousands of flights and widespread disruptions for an entire week.
In response to this incident, the UK's aviation watchdog has launched an independent review, with the results expected to be unveiled by the end of September. Despite these challenges, Stansted's ability to not only endure but thrive underlines its significance in the global aviation landscape.
