Stansted Airport Expansion Plans

Stansted Airport is owned by MAG, the Manchester Airports Group and they have recently submitted new plans to expand the Airport substantially. The proposal includes increased capacity to 160 million passengers each year. This has been submitted to tackle the growing demand.

One of the arguments for expansion is that without it another Country will take the lead meaning a missed opportunity for the UK to take advantage for the ever increasing number of people travelling by air. Stansted is ideally located, close to London and with good road and rail links could be the ideal Airport to take on the extra passengers.

Campaigners have long been against any kind of increase in numbers in the area citing that it would have a detrimental effect of the environment, but it would also bring additional employment to the area.

The proposals are asking for a four runway hub to manage the increase in passenger numbers and if it goes ahead Stansted Airport could be vital to the UK’s aviation industry. At the moment the Airport is underused and could easily cope with more flights in and out of the Airport and so some argue that the expansion is unnecessary when they cannot attract airlines to take up those vacant slots already there.

Whatever your views, it seems unlikely that they will stop trying to push through expansion plans.