Home — Over 1,000 learn life-saving CPR skills at London Stansted for Restart a Heart Day

17 October 2025

Over 1,000 learn life-saving CPR skills at London Stansted for Restart a Heart Day

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Passengers and staff at London Stansted Airport joined Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) on Thursday 16th October to take part in Restart a Heart Day 2025.

From 4am to 10.00pm, EHAAT’s critical care team, charity staff, and volunteers delivered quick, hands-on training in CPR and defibrillator use to 1,208 travellers of all ages and airport colleagues in the departure’s terminal.

The event built on the success of last year’s inaugural session, which saw over 700 people trained in a 10-hour shift. Since then, there have been three cardiac arrests at Stansted where staff used their refreshed CPR skills immediately, helping to save lives.

Adam Carr, Critical Care Paramedic and EHAAT’s CPR Smart Lead, said:

“Restart a Heart Day at Stansted shows just how many people are willing to learn CPR when given the chance. To know that, within months of last year’s event, airport staff had already put those skills into action and saved lives is incredibly powerful. Airports are busy, high-stress environments, and because of security and access challenges, it’s not always possible for emergency services to reach a patient straight away. That’s why it’s so important that people on the ground – staff and passengers – have the confidence to step in. And it doesn’t stop at the airport: everyone trained today will take those skills home with them, creating a ripple effect of life-saving knowledge in communities right across the country, and beyond. Early CPR really can make the difference between life and death.”

Anita Harrison, Customer Operations Director at London Stansted, said:

“It was great to welcome Essex & Herts Air Ambulance back to Stansted for Restart a Heart Day. Passenger safety is always our number one priority, and by teaming up with EHAAT to raise awareness of CPR, we’re helping more people feel confident to step in during an emergency. Airports are busy places, and while our customer service teams are trained as first responders, CPR is something anyone can learn, it’s quick, simple, and could one day save a life.”

Restart a Heart Day falls under EHAAT’s wider CPR Smart programme, which aims to ensure every child in Essex and Hertfordshire leaves school knowing how to perform CPR. By teaming up with Stansted Airport, EHAAT is extending that training to hundreds of passengers and staff in one of the region’s busiest travel hubs.