Planning permission granted for terminal expansion at Stansted Airport
Stansted Airport has won planning permission to extend its terminal building.
The decision, confirmed on Tuesday (October 31), was made by the Planning Inspectorate following a hearing on October 17.
The scheme will add a three-bay extension to the back of the terminal, extending it by 16,500 sq m (177,604 sq ft).
It will create a more spacious departure lounge with additional seating, a greater choice of shops, bars and restaurants, state-of-the-art check-in desks, increased baggage capacity and a larger security hall with more security lanes equipped with next-generation scanners.
Stansted’s operator MAG (Manchester Airports Group) said the project was intended to improve every step of passengers’ journey through the airport. Around 5,000 jobs are also expected to be created.
The Uttlesford hub has been London’s fastest-recovering airport post-Covid, serving more than 27 million passengers in the last 12 months, and has now entered a phase of growth with a limit of 43m passengers a year.
The extension will enable the airport to improve its capacity at busy times and provide the extra space required to accommodate forecast growth.
Gareth Powell, Stansted’s managing director, said: “Our plans will transform the airport experience for everyone connected with London Stansted, so today’s decision by the Planning Inspectorate to approve our scheme is excellent news for our passengers, colleagues, airport partners and the region we serve.
“Stansted is now entering a new phase in its history, as we look to serve more passengers than ever before. Our unique and growing route network, and easy access to and from London and East of England, is a fantastic platform to build on. We know Stansted will have a critical role to play in serving the future capacity needs of London.
“Being a single-terminal airport enables us to offer the millions of passengers who choose us each year a simple, efficient and reliable experience when they fly. This is something they clearly value and enjoy when choosing which airport to use, so they can be confident our plans will build on this success and make every airport journey even better in the future.
“Stansted is a national and regional asset, and our investment plans are not only an exciting prospect for our passengers and colleagues, but they will also boost our competitiveness within the London aviation market, which in turn will support economic growth, jobs and vital international connectivity for London and the East of England.
“Our aim is to be the airport of choice for even more passengers, and we are confident we can achieve that goal by further enhancing our facilities and attracting even more airlines to the airport to provide the best range of destinations.”
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