Stansted Airport today reported its busiest May for seven years after a 12th consecutive month of double digit growth in passenger numbers.

Nearly 2.05million people passed through Stansted last month, an increase of around 230,000 or 12.6% compared with May 2014, and the first time the May total at the airport has topped 2m since 2008, before the financial crisis.

The rolling annual total for the year to the end of May was 16.7% higher compared with the previous 12 months at 21.3m.

Managing director Andrew Harrison said: “Stansted continues to go from strength to strength with passenger numbers growing by over 3m in the last year, the same contribution to passenger growth as Heathrow and Gatwick airports put together.

“Stansted is the fastest growing airport in the country and the last 12 months provide further proof of the important role that it will play in meeting the UK’s capacity needs.

“Stansted already offers an extensive network of European routes and the airport will make a huge contribution to improving the UK’s connectivity with the rest of the world at a time when other airports will have already run out of capacity.

“Experience suggests that it will take at least another 10 to 15 years to deliver a new runway, and with demand expected to grow strongly over this period, we need to be working hard as a country to make sure existing capacity is used to its full potential.”

He added: “Airports like Stansted with room to grow will have a fundamental role in meeting increased demand, and the Government’s response to the Airports Commission’s final report must tackle these issues together with those associated with delivering a new runway. That’s why we are pushing Government and Network Rail to commit to delivering rail improvements to Stansted as an urgent priority.

“Making the most of existing capacity is a vital precursor to building new capacity, because it will allow us to offer businesses and passengers the best fares and choice of destinations, and provide a significant boost to the UK’s productivity and economic performance.”

Cargo volumes at Stansted also continue to increase with 233,000 tonnes having passed through the airport in the last year, up 11.7% on the previous 12 months.