Stansted’s February recovery exceeds November’s but remains behind pre-Covid levels
Stansted’s owner MAG Airports has reported the airport’s recovery levels in February have surpassed those registered in November.
The group said that after the UK Government removed all travel restrictions under the ‘Living with Covid’ plan, passenger numbers reached 1.15m, a 3190.9 per cent surge compared with the same period last year.
Levels, though, remained 39 per cent down on pre-pandemic levels, while overall Stansted saw a 125 per cent increase in the last 12 months to February 2022.
“The number of passengers that travelled through our airports in February shows the sheer demand for international travel that exists once people are freed from testing and other restrictions,” said MAG’s chief executive Charlie Cornish, who is also at the helm of Manchester and East Midlands airports.
“Now that the government has made clear that it will only consider implementing new public health measures at the border in extreme circumstances, we are well on the way to a sustained recovery as we head into the summer season.”
Stansted announced this week it will invest £12m into the refurbishment of its departure lounge to better cater for passengers after two years of pandemic.
“We want everyone using London Stansted to have the best possible experience as we welcome back more and more passengers after the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said MAG’s retail director Ben Green.
“Ready in time for the summer getaway we will have a variety of exciting new dining and retail outlets for people to enjoy before they jet off from the airport.”