London Stansted began the new year as it ended 2025 with another strong passenger performance in January as it gears up to welcome more than 800,000 passengers over the half-term holidays.
The airport saw more than 1.89 million passengers pass through the terminal in January 2026, up 2% on the same month last year.
That meant Stansted’s rolling total for the 12-months ending January 2026 reached 30.07m, an increase of 1.3% on the previous year.
The top three most popular countries during the month were Italy, Spain, Italy and Turkey, while the busiest routes were Istanbul, Dublin and Edinburgh.
All Stansted security lanes now have new technology scanners, so passengers no longer need to take liquids or electronics out of their bags, however government rules still apply meaning liquids must be in containers of 100ml or less.
The month also saw the airport host its first ever Aviation Careers Festival attended by over 500 students from across Essex and Hertfordshire giving them a hands on introduction to the exciting world of aviation.
Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said: “January was another good month for London Stansted where we delivered another the strong passenger performance and built upon the momentum of our record-breaking 2025 where we topped 30m passengers for the first time ever at the airport.
“I’m also pleased our passengers continue to experience a smooth and efficient airport operation when choosing to fly from the airport, which we aim to maintain as we prepare for the expected 800,000 passengers who will passing through the terminal across the half-term holidays later this month.
“In addition, we continue to make good progress on a number of key projects at the airport, including the extension of our security hall with the latest security equipment allowing all passengers to leave large electrical items and liquids bags in their hand baggage, and the construction of our on-site solar farm that will be helping power the airport this spring.”
