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 serves over 180 destinations across Europe, Asia and North Africa. It is a base for many European low-cost airlines, most notably Ryanair, which uses it as its largest base with over 150 destinations. As of 2022^[update], it is the fourth-busiest airport in the United Kingdom, after Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, it was briefly the second busiest in the country.

The airport has one main passenger terminal, which opened in 1991, with three passenger satellites containing the departure gates. The terminal building was designed by Foster and Partners and is regarded as influential for airport architecture.

History

Second World War

Main article: RAF Stansted Mountfitchet

The airfield opened in early July 1943. It was used during the Second World War by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces as a bomber airfield and a major maintenance depot.

Postwar use

After the war, Stansted was taken over for storage and later used for housing prisoners of war. In 1946, a British cargo airline began using it as a base. 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 continued in civil use.

Under BAA ownership (1966–2013)

Beginning 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 was constructed and opened in 1991.

Under MAG ownership (2013–)

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

COVID-19 pandemic and recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly reduced passenger numbers at the airport in 2020. Cargo operations increased as the airport adapted. By late 2022, passenger levels were nearing pre-pandemic volumes. In 2023, the airport announced a £1.1 billion expansion plan to increase its capacity and add more flights and jobs.

Infrastructure

The terminal at Stansted Airport is divided into three main areas: the check-in and main concourse at the front, departures at the southern end, and international arrivals at the northern end. Gates are not inside the main building but in three separate satellite buildings. One is connected by air bridges, another by a people mover system, and a third by both. There are also four gates reached by bus from below the main building. The airport has 52 gates, with 12 having jetbridges for airplanes.

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

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

There are several buildings for handling cargo around the airfield. The main cargo center is near the control tower and serves many types of cargo planes. Some smaller hangars are on the other side of the runway.

Stansted has many facilities for travelers. Several airlines once had their offices at the airport. 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, plans were made to build a second runway at the airport. This would have let the airport handle more passengers. But in 2010, these plans were stopped. The government decided not to allow a second runway, so the plans were withdrawn.

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 on this is set to 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 made 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 was 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 were changed, and the art was never made. Later smaller glass designs were also taken down to make 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 was not successful and ended in 1993. Continental Airlines also tried a short service from 2001, but it stopped after the September 11 attacks.

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 due to economic problems.

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 Boston, Newark, Toronto-Pearson, and Washington–Dulles, but the airline closed in 2018. Emirates began daily flights to Dubai in 2018, which later increased to twice daily.

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 links the main building to smaller areas using a free moving walkway that runs on tracks. It only works for people who have already gone through security checks. Plans exist to stop using this system in spring 2026 and replace it with walking bridges.

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 describes events that happened at Stansted Airport. Because some of these events involve dangerous situations, we will only share general information in a safe way.

Stansted Airport has been chosen by the UK government as a place for planes that may have been taken over to land. The airport is designed 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 been the place where a few special events happened, such as when planes needed extra help or when groups of people made their voices heard in peaceful ways. These moments show how the airport handles difficult situations with care.