London Stansted busiest November marked a clear rise in seasonal travel as the airport moved into the winter period with strong momentum.
A total of 2.14 million passengers passed through the terminal during the month, which exceeded the previous November figure set in 2024. This reflected a sustained demand pattern across the network.
Istanbul, Dublin and Edinburgh recorded the highest passenger volumes. Spain, Italy and Germany remained the most visited countries. London Stansted busiest November also coincided with solid operational performance. Airline punctuality reached 80% on time across all flights. More than 90% of early morning departures kept to schedule.
Over the twelve months ending in November, 29.99 million passengers used the airport. This was 1.3% higher than the previous year. The steady growth reinforced expectations for the period ahead.
The airport now anticipates around 1.4 million travellers between 19 December 2025 and 4 January 2026. Many passengers will be leaving for Christmas and New Year holidays, while others will arrive from overseas for festive events in the UK. Those departing are advised to keep large electrical items and liquids bags inside their hand baggage, as the security search area uses the latest scanner technology.
London Stansted busiest November was supported by consistent winter season demand. Nick Millar, London Stansted’s Operations Director, said:
“The start of the winter season saw demand for travel across our extensive route network remain very strong thanks to the great value, convenience, choice the airport offers to millions of passengers, and helped London Stansted record its busiest ever November.
“Alongside record-breaking passenger numbers, airline punctuality was strong during the first month of the winter flying schedule particularly during the first wave of morning departures with more than 90% of aircraft departing on time. This positive performance is one of the highest of any airport in Europe and provides the best platform for our airlines to keep to their schedules for the remainder of the day.
“We expect this positive trend to continue in the run up to Christmas and over festive period when we are set to welcome 1.4 million people as they head off on their holidays and winter breaks, and thousands more overseas visitors choose Stansted as their gateway to London and the East of England to enjoy the festivities.
“Our operational preparations for the big getaway are well underway, both in the terminal and on the airfield. All our teams will be working hard to ensure our passengers receive the best possible experience when travelling through the airport, especially across the very busy festive season.”
The comments highlighted the scale of preparation now underway. With London Stansted busiest November setting the tone, the airport enters the festive period with clear indicators of strong passenger activity.
