London Stansted Airport

Stansted Airport (IATA: STN, ICAO: EGSS) is an international airport serving the south-east of England. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, in the district of Uttlesford, Essex; it lies 31 miles (50 km; 27 nmi) north-east of Central London.

As London's third-busiest airport, Stansted has flights to over 180 places in Europe, Asia and North Africa. Many low-cost airlines use it, especially Ryanair, which has its biggest base there with more than 150 places to fly to. As of 2022^[update], it is the fourth-busiest airport in the United Kingdom, after Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester.

The airport has one main passenger building for travelers. It opened in 1991 and has three smaller sections with gates for leaving. The building was designed by Foster and Partners and is important for airport design.

History

Second World War

Main article: RAF Stansted Mountfitchet

The airfield opened in July 1943. It was used during the Second World War by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces for airplanes.

Postwar use

After the war, Stansted was used for storage and then to house prisoners of war. In 1946, a British cargo airline started using it. The airport came under civil control in 1949 and was used by several UK charter airlines. The US military returned in 1954 to extend the runway, but the airport kept operating normally.

Under BAA ownership (1966–2013)

Starting in 1966, the airport was used by holiday charter operators. In the 1980s, plans were made to develop Stansted into London’s third airport. A new terminal building opened in 1991.

Under MAG ownership (2013–)

In 2013, the airport was purchased by a new group. They started an £80 million redevelopment programme, improving facilities and adding new shops and seating.

COVID-19 pandemic and recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic caused fewer passengers at the airport in 2020. Cargo operations increased as the airport changed. By late 2022, passenger levels were close to what they were before. In 2023, the airport announced plans to expand and add more flights and jobs.

Infrastructure

The terminal at Stansted Airport has three main parts: the check-in area, departures, and international arrivals. The gates are in three separate buildings. One building connects with air bridges, another with a moving walkway, and a third uses both. Some gates are reached by bus. The airport has 52 gates, and 12 have jetbridges for airplanes.

You can park cars in many places, including long-, mid-, and short-stay options. There are also valet and meet-and-greet services. Two drop-off areas are available, one near short-stay parking and another free one in the mid-stay area. The express drop-off near short-stay parking costs a fee.

The air traffic control tower, built in 1996, was the tallest in Britain at that time. It is on the south side of the airfield next to the main terminal.

There are buildings for cargo near the airfield. The main cargo center is close to the control tower and serves many cargo planes. Smaller hangars are on the other side of the runway.

Stansted has many traveler facilities. Several airlines used to have offices there. Today, there are hotels nearby such as Holiday Inn Express, Novotel, Premier Inn, Radisson Blu, and Hampton by Hilton, all just a short walk or bus ride from the terminal.

Proposed developments

Runway

Plans for a second runway

In 2008, there were plans to build a second runway at the airport. This would have helped the airport handle more passengers. But in 2010, the government said no to a second runway, so the plans stopped.

Terminal

Ongoing Terminal extension

In July 2023, new plans were announced to make the airport’s main building bigger. This will add more space for passengers and new shops and restaurants. Work will start in 2025 and take two to three years.

Proposed Satellite 4

Plans for a fourth satellite building were approved in 1999 but were never built. Instead, new outdoor stands were added in 2018. Current plans for 2024 do not include this satellite.

Formerly proposed Arrivals Terminal

In 2016, ideas were shared for a new arrivals building. This would have been next to the current airport building. But work on this stopped in 2023, and instead, the current building will be made bigger.

Formerly proposed artwork

In 1988, ideas were made for special glass art inside the airport building. But these plans changed, and the art was never made. Later, smaller glass designs were taken down to make more space for passengers.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The following airlines operate regular scheduled flights to and from Stansted Airport:

Cargo

Route development

Long-haul scheduled flights started in 1987 with a short service from a Scottish airline to Newark Liberty International Airport. In the early 1990s, American Airlines flew between Stansted and Chicago–O'Hare, but this route ended in 1993. Continental Airlines also tried a short service from 2001, but it stopped later.

Long-haul flights to the United States returned in 2005 with special business class services to New York–JFK. In 2006, more flights were added to Washington–Dulles, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. American Airlines started daily flights from New York–JFK to Stansted in 2007, but all these United States services ended by 2008.

Transatlantic flights briefly returned in 2010 with a seasonal service to Minneapolis/St. Paul, but this also ended. Flights to Asia began in 2009 with AirAsia X flying to Kuala Lumpur, but this moved to Gatwick and later stopped. Primera Air started non-stop flights to several places, but the airline closed in 2018. Emirates began daily flights to Dubai in 2018.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the aviation industry, and several flights scheduled to start or recently begun at Stansted have not returned. EasyJet, a major airline at the airport, closed its base at Stansted in August 2020.

Statistics

Development

In 1988, more than 1.1 million people traveled through Stansted Airport for the first time. By 1997, this number grew to over 5 million, and by 2000, it reached almost 12 million passengers.

The highest number of travelers was in 2007, with nearly 24 million people. After that, the numbers went down for a few years but started to grow again. By 2016, Stansted had a record 24.3 million passengers, making it the fourth-busiest airport in the United Kingdom. In 2023, the number of passengers reached 28 million.

Traffic figures

Busiest routes

Year	Number of passengers	Percentage change	Number of movements	Freight (tonnes)
2000	11,878,190	–	165,779	167,823
2001	13,665,333	15.0%	169,583	165,660
2002	16,054,522	17.5%	170,544	184,449
2003	18,722,112	16.6%	186,475	198,565
2004	20,910,842	11.7%	192,245	225,772
2005	21,998,673	05.2%	193,511	237,045
2006	23,687,013	07.7%	206,693	224,312
2007	23,779,697	00.4%	208,462	203,747
2008	22,360,364	06.0%	193,282	197,738
2009	19,957,077	10.7%	167,817	182,810
2010	18,573,592	06.9%	155,140	202,238
2011	18,052,843	02.8%	148,317	202,593
2012	17,472,699	03.2%	143,511	214,160
2013	17,852,393	02.2%	146,324	211,952
2014	19,941,593	11.7%	157,117	204,725
2015	22,519,178	12.9%	168,629	207,996
2016	24,320,071	08.0%	180,430	223,203
2017	25,902,618	06.5%	189,919	236,892
2018	27,996,116	08.1%	201,614	226,128
2019	28,139,051	00.5%	199,925	224,139
2020	7,536,869	072.2%	86,107	254,573
2021	7,145,802	05.2%	93,316	263,631
2022	23,289,652	0225.9%	159,502	243 153
2023	27,951,291	020.0%	179,135	251,864
2024	29,694,000	6.2%	201,031	294,355
Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority Number of passengers including both domestic and international Number of movements represents total aircraft takeoffs and landings during that year.

Ground transport

Main article: Stansted Airport Transit System

The Stansted Airport Transit System connects the main building to smaller areas with a free moving walkway. It only works for people who have already gone through security checks. Plans exist to replace this system with walking bridges in spring 2026.

Main article: Stansted Airport railway station

You can take trains from Stansted Airport to London. The Stansted Express train goes to Liverpool Street in central London every 15 minutes and the trip usually takes between 45 and 53 minutes. This train also stops at Tottenham Hale, connecting to the Underground. Some trains also stop at Stansted Mountfitchet, Bishop’s Stortford and Harlow before reaching London.

Other train services go from the airport to Birmingham, Norwich, Cambridge, Peterborough and Leicester.

Scheduled buses and coaches run from the airport to London and other places such as Luton Airport, Heathrow, Birmingham, Oxford, Norwich and Cambridge. There are also local bus services to nearby towns.

The airport is easy to reach by road. It is connected to London and Cambridge by the M11 motorway and to other towns by the A120 road. The airport has many parking spots close to the building and further away, with a bus to take you to the terminal if you park far away. There are also parking services where someone can bring your car to you when you arrive.

Incidents and accidents

This section tells about some events at Stansted Airport. Because some of these events were difficult, we will share only general information in a safe way.

Stansted Airport has been chosen by the UK government for planes that may need special help. The airport is made to keep these situations away from other planes and buildings, so the airport can still work while talks happen or help is arranged.

Over the years, Stansted has seen a few special events, such as when planes needed extra help or when people made their voices heard peacefully. These moments show how the airport handles hard situations with care.