London Stansted Airport

London Stansted Airport
source
Name	London Stansted Airport
Iata	STN
Icao	EGSS

London Stansted Airport is a major UK airport located in Essex, approximately 42 miles northeast of central London. It is one of the six international Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Luton, and Southend airports serving the London metropolitan area, with connections to British Airways, EasyJet, and Ryanair. The airport is owned and operated by Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which also manages Manchester Airport, East Midlands Airport, and Bournemouth Airport.

Overview

London Stansted Airport serves as a base for several major low-cost carriers, including Ryanair, EasyJet, and Jet2.com. The airport offers flights to over 200 destinations across Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia, with connections to Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, and Istanbul. The airport is also a major cargo hub, with DHL Aviation, TNT Airways, and UPS Airlines operating freight services to Cologne, Leipzig, and Philadelphia. Additionally, the airport is used by RAF and US Air Force for military operations, with connections to RAF Mildenhall and Ramstein Air Base.

History

The airport was originally built in 1943 as a USAAF base, known as RAF Stansted Mountfitchet, during World War II. After the war, the airport was used for RAF operations, including Cold War-era NATO exercises, with involvement from SHAPE and EUCOM. In 1966, the airport was transferred to the BAA and began to develop as a commercial airport, with the first British Airways and BEA Airtours flights to Glasgow and Manchester. The airport underwent significant expansion in the 1990s, with the construction of a new terminal building and the addition of new air traffic control systems, designed by NATS and Lockheed Martin.

Facilities

The airport has a single terminal building, which was opened in 1991 and designed by Foster + Partners. The terminal features a range of facilities, including check-in desks, baggage claim areas, and security checkpoints, operated by G4S and Serco. The airport also has a range of shops, restaurants, and bars, including WHSmith, Boots, and Costa Coffee, as well as Travelex currency exchange and Royal Bank of Scotland banking services. Additionally, the airport offers a range of airport lounges, including the No1 Lounge and the Escape Lounge, operated by No1 Lounges and MAG.

Airlines and Destinations

The airport is a base for several major low-cost carriers, including Ryanair, EasyJet, and Jet2.com. Other airlines operating from the airport include Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, and Turkish Airlines, with connections to Vienna, Munich, and Istanbul. The airport offers flights to over 200 destinations across Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia, including Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, and Dubai, with services operated by Emirates and Qatar Airways.

Statistics

In 2020, the airport handled over 28 million passengers, making it the fourth-busiest airport in the UK, after Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester. The airport also handled over 200,000 tons of cargo, with DHL Aviation and UPS Airlines operating freight services to Cologne and Philadelphia. The airport is a major contributor to the local economy, with over 12,000 people employed on-site, including staff from British Airways, EasyJet, and Ryanair, as well as Essex County Council and Harlow District Council.

Ground Transport

The airport is connected to central London by the M11 motorway and the Stansted Express rail service, which operates to London Liverpool Street and is managed by Greater Anglia. The airport is also served by a range of bus and coach services, including National Express and Terravision, which operate to Victoria Coach Station and Stratford bus station. Additionally, the airport has a range of car parks and car rental facilities, including NCP and Europcar, as well as taxi services operated by Stansted Airport Taxis and Uber. Category:Airports in the United Kingdom