BAA Stansted celebrated a major landmark last Thursday - June 10 - as it welcomed its 20 millionth
passenger to travel through the airport in the past year - the highest annual passenger figure to date for the award winning terminal.

The unsuspecting passenger was Jane Summers from Tunbridge Wells - checking in for a flight to Pescara in Italy with her boyfriend, Marco Lombado.

She was surprised and delighted as Terry Morgan, managing director BAA Stansted, made the announcement and presented her with a bottle of champagne plus two return flights, including accommodation, to Palma Mallorca with Air Berlin as reward for being the landmark 20 millionth traveller.

Jane said: This is a wonderful start to our visit to Italy - where are travelling to see Marco`s parents who live near Pescara - and an honour to be Stansted`s 20 millionth passenger this past year. We are already regular users of Stansted and we`re delighted that we will be back again thanks to the fantastic prize we have won.

Commenting on the record-breaking achievement Terry Morgan said: I`d like to thank all our loyal passengers for choosing Stansted and taking us to this historic milestone. I also wish to express my thanks to our highly successful airline partners and the airport`s hard-working staff who have all helped make Stansted what it is today.

We are now in the top 50 of the world`s busiest airports and recently named Europe`s fastest-growing major airport for the fourth consecutive year. Stansted is the undoubted enterprise hub for the Eastern region and a gateway to markets and opportunities throughout Europe.

The region has ambitions to be among the top 20 regions in the new EU and this will not be possible without a successful and busy Stansted, and all that this means for business, competitiveness, tourism and trade.

The excitement wasn`t restricted to the lucky 20 millionth traveller - passengers throughout the terminal were invited to join in the fun and celebrations. Airport crowds were entertained by the rhythmic sounds of a steel band, a towering stilt walker, clown and town crier.

A 20 millionth cake - baked by the Catering Division of Harlow College for the occasion - was distributed by students from the college, dressed in full chef whites, while lucky passengers received prize giveaways from a host of airport companies and airlines.

The celebratory day also helped raise vital funds for Essex Air Ambulance, as the airport hosted a charity prize draw to win return flights to Spain, courtesy of Thomas Cook Airlines.

The record 20 million passengers per annum is yet another milestone in Stansted`s success story and confirms its place among the leading airports of the world. The past ten years have seen annual passenger numbers rise rapidly from 3 million in 1994 to 20 million today - and the numbers keep growing.