Easter disruption caution issued by Stansted

Passengers flying from Stansted face the prospect of disruption this Easter due to work in the departure lounge.

The caution came as the airport estimated that it would be handling 1.3 million passengers over the Easter holidays, making it the busiest period for travel since before the start of the pandemic.

Travellers are being encouraging to “arrive in good time” for flights and to familiarise themselves with all the usual security requirements, with many people not having travelled in the last two years

A total of 240,000 passengers are due to use the airport over the four-day Easter weekend, compared to just over 8,000 last year when Covid restrictions were in place.

Managing director Steve Griffiths said: “While queues may be longer than people are used to at times, customers can definitely help us by arriving in good time.

“We are also keen to remind people how they can minimise any unnecessary delays at the airport.

“The usual restrictions on liquids, sharp items, and electronics carried in hand luggage continue to apply, so we urge passengers to prepare properly before they leave home.

“We also recommend that passengers check for any road or rail disruptions that could affect their journey to the airport, and arrive at the terminal at the earliest time their airline allows them to check-in.

“To prepare for the summer, we began a major recruitment drive in January to fill hundreds of roles in our security operation, and partner organisations like airlines, ground handlers and Border Force have also been recruiting.

“We’ve held a number of recruitment events and on Tuesday (April 5) we will join forces with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation to host a jobs fair at the club’s new stadium.”

He added: “A major refurbishment of our departure lounge is also included in our summer preparations.

“We are investing more than £12million in improving the customer experience with a range of new bars, restaurants, and retail outlets.

“Over the next few weeks, passengers may experience some disruption in the departure lounge, so please be patient with us as we carry out this work.

“We are all really excited to welcome more and more passengers back to London Stansted and will be working hard to ensure they have the best possible experience while at the airport.”