The boss of Stansted Airport says he is immensely proud of the work his staff have put in during an "extremely challenging" year of coronavirus.

Steve Griffiths, managing director, said teams have transformed the airport to meet Government guidelines, including more regular and intensified cleaning, installing sanitising stations and requiring staff and passengers to use face coverings.

He said: "At the beginning of the pandemic, we prioritised making Stansted Covid-19 safe.

"Signage was installed across the airport to highlight social distancing and redirect pathways, helping to protect staff and passengers.

"I am very proud that we’ve been able to play a small but vitally important part in supporting the Government’s national testing programme by making available one of our main long-stay car parks."

The airport worked closely with the Government to open the new Covid-19 passenger testing facility in the terminal.

This offers tests for both departing and arriving passengers in partnership with airport services and travel medical provider, Collinson.

Mr Griffiths said: "I'm immensely proud of our colleagues.

"It is during times of crisis that you see the best of people, and no more is that the case than across the Stansted family.

"Since the start of the pandemic, they’ve clocked up over 7,000 volunteering hours, with the majority being in direct response to helping local residents who are shielding or isolating."

The airport's Community Engagement team is currently working alongside the NHS to support the Covid vaccination programmes.

Stansted is promoting the national registration programmes through the Royal Voluntary Service and St John’s Ambulance Service alongside requests for support at local centres - particularly Council for Voluntary Services Uttlesford and the East of England Ambulance Service.

Mr Griffiths said: "I'm confident that with the right framework put forward by the Government’s Global Travel Taskforce and the continued success of the vaccination programme, we can look forward to better days ahead.

"The prompt and sustained reopening of travel is of course about giving people the opportunity to enjoy a much-needed holiday and visit loved ones after an extremely challenging 12 months, but it is also about much more than that."