London Stansted Airport had its busiest September ever, welcoming 2.71 million passengers.

The strong demand for short breaks and late summer sun continued beyond the peak holiday season.

The number was a 3.4 per cent increase from last year and beats the previous September record, set in 2018, by more than 31,000 passengers.

The most popular destinations for sun-seekers were Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga, Antalya, and Faro.

Dublin, Istanbul, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Rome were the top choices for short breaks and city trips.

Spain, Italy, and Turkey were the most popular countries for travellers.

The airport's operational performance was strong, with all passengers passing through security in 15 minutes or less, and an average queue time of less than two minutes during peak departure times.

The total number of passengers for the 12 months up to the end of September stands at 29.35 million, a 7.2 per cent increase from the previous year.

Jon Fowler, London Stansted’s chief operations officer, said: "The possibilities to travel affordably and flexibly from London Stansted provide people with fantastic choices, whether they are flying away for a late summer holiday or ‘weekenders’ jetting off to explore some of Europe’s most iconic cities on a short break.

"And we also continue to welcome tens of thousands of overseas visitors who really appreciate the excellent value and convenient access we offer that makes Stansted the obvious choice when wishing to visit the great cities of London and Cambridge, and the wider Eastern region, on their holidays.

"I’m delighted that the hard work and dedication of our colleagues, and cooperation with business partners across the airport, has enabled us to deliver a very strong and reliable level of customer service for our record-breaking number of passengers, with an average security queue time of less than two minutes during the busiest departure periods, and 99 per cent of passengers passing safely through security in under 15 minutes.

"We are now preparing for the half-term holidays when we expect to be really busy once again, so our focus is on maintaining and delivering the simple and efficient experience we know our passengers really value when choosing to travel from London Stansted."