Woman's Reaction at Discovering the Most 'Stress Free Deadest Airport'

Airports are typically associated with a hectic setting full of crowds rushing to catch their flights. However, one lucky passenger managed to enjoy a "stress free" airport experience on a recent trip. Read more: Compare the Best Rewards Credit Cards for Travel Brooke Lazaro shared a glimpse of the nearly empty airport scene in a viral video from her TikTok account @brookelazaro, where it has garnered over 176,000 views since it was first posted on May 9. The 24-year-old part-time content creator and full-time insurance underwriter is based in Southend-on-Sea (also known as Southend) in the English county of Essex in the United Kingdom. She told Newsweek: "My mother and I were travelling to Palma in Majorca [one of the Balearic islands of Spain] from Southend Airport for three days..." Located just outside central London, Southend Airport serves the Greater London area and Essex. Read more: Which Airlines Have the Best (or Worst) Fees? Lazaro said: "There were only two flights flying from Southend the day we used the airport. It was like a ghost town but very calm and stress free."

The latest post comes as five of the top 10 busiest airports in the world based on total passenger traffic were reported to be in the U.S. in 2023, with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia topping the list, according to the Airports Council International (ACI). The other U.S. airports in the top 10 ranking included Dallas/Forth Worth (airport code DFW) in Texas in the third place, Denver (DEN) in sixth place and Los Angeles (LAX) in eighth place, according to the ACI listing.

'The Deadest Airport Ever'

A message overlaid on the latest viral video says: "The deadest airport ever! Only 2 flights running all day from Southend airport." Read more: How Much Are Airline Baggage Fees? A caption shared with the post reads: "Stress free though, so not complaining." The latest trip was Lazaro's first time at Southend Airport, while her mother had previously traveled from the airport. "She said it has been pretty empty ever since COVID hit in 2020 and many airlines stopped flying from Southend Airport," Lazaro told Newsweek. "We met a lovely lady called Karen who worked in the airport and explained how quiet the airport has been for a while now, which is a shame as it's a lovely airport. There is hope for more flights to be departing within the coming months from Southend Airport," she noted. While it has remained relatively quiet in recent years, things may start to pick up, as travel is set to reach "record highs" this year, with global tourism spending expected to hit U.S. $2 trillion, according to a December 2023 survey by Euromonitor International, the market research firm. Air travel continues to see strong growth in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. Total passenger demand in April was reported to be up 11 percent, compared with April 2023, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported on Thursday. In November 2023, global total air traffic was reported to be at 99.1 percent of November 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels, according to an IATA report in January. Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.