Passenger numbers at London Luton Airport were down 56 per cent last month compared to August 2019.

In total, some with 820,000 people travelled through the airport compared to 1.7 million during the same month last year.

While the figures represent an improvement on July, they continue to show the impact that coronavirus is having on the aviation sector.

Across the summer as a whole (June, July and August) the total number of passengers were down 75 per cent compared to last year, as the pandemic continues to weigh on the sector.

Alberto Martin, chief executive of London Luton, said: “The summer period is the busiest time of year at LLA, and while I’m pleased to have welcomed more passengers during August, it’s a long way from our normal busy holiday period.

“We’ve seen an encouraging rise in seat sales in recent months, but we also need to be realistic about what the future holds.

“With summer drawing to a close, and with quarantine measures continuing to be imposed, urgent government support for the sector will be vital to ensure that the crisis of the aviation sector does not worsen and the livelihoods of the thousands of people who rely on it are not jeopardised.”

London Luton is taking additional steps to ensure the safety of travellers and staff members.

These include the installation of protective screens at customer service points, hand sanitiser stations throughout the airport and an enhanced cleaning and disinfection routine.