Stansted, easyJet braced for busiest weekend since pandemic hit

Airports and airlines are expecting their busiest weekend of the year so far as schools close and the summer holidays begin.

The owner of London Stansted, Manchester Airports Group, said it is expecting 1,330 flights at the Essex airport.

That's almost double the 735 flights during the same weekend last year, but still well below the 2,139 flights in July 2019.

A spokesman said: "After what has been the most challenging year in our history, it is encouraging finally to start seeing some passengers return to our terminals.

Luton-based airline easyJet said it is preparing to carry more than 135,000 passengers thisweekend from the UK on over 80 routes to green and amber-list destinations across Europe.

In total there will be 251 easyJet flights taking to the skies, with popular destinations including Malta, Madeira, Malaga in Spain, Faro and Lisbon in Portugal, and Corfu and Athens in Greece, the airline added.

Ali Gayward, easyJet's UK country manager, said:

"With schools breaking up for summer, this weekend sees the busiest weekend so far this year and we are looking forward to taking as many people as we can on that long-awaited and well-deserved trip, or to reunite them with their loved ones."

Since May, quarantine and testing requirements have been determined by whether a person is entering the UK from a green, amber or red list location.

Travellers returning from a green destination are not required to self-isolate, but only a handful of major European summer hotspots are in that tier.

Spain, Italy and Greece are among the countries on the amber list. Those returning from an amber country must quarantine at home for 10 days unless they have had both doses of a coronavirus vaccine.