London Stansted airport has reported its busiest-ever year, with 28.5 million passengers during the 12-month period ending in March 2024.

A record-breaking March, with more than 2.18 million travellers, contributed to the success, eclipsing the previous 2019 high by nearly 80,000.

The early Easter holiday helped enhance the figures.

Managing director Gareth Powell said: "I’m really pleased we were able to round off what was our busiest and most successful winter season at London Stansted with yet another record-breaking month in March, our sixth successive busiest-ever passenger month."

He attributed the figures to the range of destinations now offered by Stansted and efficient operations, supported by the dedicated airport staff.

Mr Powell said: "I’m delighted we successfully delivered a very busy Easter getaway for hundreds of thousands of passengers, and we are now gearing up for what we predict will be our busiest ever summer."

Preparations have already begun for the anticipated summer rush.

Mr Powell said: "In preparation to welcome millions of passengers heading away this summer, or overseas tourists choosing Stansted as their gateway to the UK, we are recruiting even more colleagues to join our teams.

"We are also upgrading many facilities and services to enhance the passenger experience as demand to fly from London Stansted continues to grow at pace."

Airport bosses say 100 per cent of departures passed through security within 15 minutes.

During peak times, the average queue was under four minutes.

The airport's extensive European route network has contributed significantly to rising passenger numbers.

Between November and March, more than 10 million passengers travelled through Stansted.

Stansted's winter passenger influx also benefited by the reinstatement of the Stansted Express running four services an hour in December.

Destinations registering the most demand in the busy 12-month period were Dublin, Istanbul, and Edinburgh, while Spain, Italy, and Poland were the most popular countries.

Locations showing noticeable growth compared to the previous year included Dubai, Switzerland, Iceland, and Moldova.