Stansted expansion gets go-ahead

Bill Lumley

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UK government gives the nod to London Stansted expansion plans

The UK’s third largest airport London Stansted has been given the go-ahead by the government to expand and accommodate an extra 23,000 flights per year, carrying an additional 10m passengers and bringing the total to 35m. The local authority had refused the expansion earlier this year on the grounds of noise and environmental concerns, prompting an appeal by airport operator BAA.

The new runway is a key part of BAA's long-term expansion plans and proposals for this, along with a new terminal, were unveiled in March. However, a source close to Stansted Airport says: “We’ve been here before. This is far from a fait accompli. We’ve already had a judicial review and there is now likely to be a second enquiry. The story has a long way to run.”

A General Election is due in the UK in 18 months’ time. The current opposition Conservative party has committed itself to rejecting expansion at the airport.

Stansted houses low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and serves mainly European business and holiday traffic. The expansion will make the airport the second biggest in the UK. Autogrill-owned retailer World Duty Free operates the duty-free stores at the location.