London Stansted has revealed details of a £1.1bn investment programme to boost passenger numbers to 43 million a year and increase the number of destinations it flies to.
The centrepiece of the five-year plans is a £600m extension to the airport’s existing terminal, with more seating areas plus new shops, bars and restaurants.The plans were announced at the government’s International Investment Summit on Monday and follow the airport reporting record-breaking passenger numbers for each month in 2024.
Planning permission for the extension was secured last October, and Stansted today released images to showcase its plans for the first time.
The development aims to help enable the airport serve up to 43 million passengers a year which in turn would create up to 5,000 new on-site jobs, and see the airport’s economic contribution double to £2 billion annually.
In July it revealed it had passed a milestone of carrying 29 million passengers in one year for the first time. It currently flies to 200 destinations across 40 countries.
Included in the plans are:
•An enlarged security hall and installation of next generation security equipment
•An on-site solar farm to supply current and future energy needs
•New and additional terminal and gate area seating
•New wayfinding kiosks across the terminal
•An upgrade of the airfield taxiway
Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said: “Stansted is embarking on an exciting new chapter. We aim to add even more choice of airlines to continue growing our extensive route network that is valued and enjoyed by the millions of passengers who choose to fly from London Stansted every year.
“We are unique among major airports in operating a single terminal, which means we can give people a simple, efficient and seamless experience. These exciting plans mean we are able to retain all those benefits, while introducing an array of new facilities and giving us the space we need to grow.
“Since receiving planning permission last October, our teams have carefully considered every touch point of a passenger’s journey through the terminal to ensure the extension transforms the airport experience by adding more space, choice, comfort and range of services on offer, from check-in right through to arrivals.”
The extension to Stansted’s terminal will add three bays to the back of the terminal building, extending it by 16,500m2. The updated design also reveals an enlarged immigration hall moving from its current location, freeing up additional space for a bigger departure lounge plus new larger arrivals baggage carousels.
The more spacious departure lounge will feature additional seating, a greater choice of shops, bars and restaurants, and a larger security hall with more security lanes equipped with next-generation scanners. The extension will also provide more state-of-the-art check-in desks plus increased baggage capacity.
Stansted served a record breaking 29.3 million passengers in the year to September 2024, the busiest 12-month period in the airport’s history.
It also broke its previous passenger record in August thanks to the “Taylor Swift effect”. More than 103,000 passengers travelling through the Essex airport on Friday 23 August, some of them Taylor Swift fans travelling home to Europe after watching her in concert at Wembley Stadium. Over the past 12 months, a number of new airlines have started flying from Stansted for the first time, including Royal Jordanian and Sun Express, plus the return of British Airways, boosting the number of destinations on the departure board to more than 200 this summer.
John Dickie, Chief Executive of BusinessLDN, said: “As a gateway to the world, London Stansted plays a critical role in welcoming visitors to London and the UK. This investment is a vote of confidence in the capital that will boost our global connectivity and enhance the experience of passengers. It will also underpin regional growth and will help us remain a world leader in the highly competitive international market.”
IFM Investors, co-owners of Manchester Airports Group (MAG) which own Stansted, hailed the £1.1bn plan as another vote of confidence in the UK as an investment destination.
Cath Bowtell, IFM Investors chair, said: “As co-owners of MAG, our commitment to this exciting new Stansted project reflects our confidence in the airport’s future growth story.
“IFM are one of the world’s largest infrastructure investors, and we invest over decades to enhance the value to customers of the UK infrastructure we own and operate.”
The airport’s plans to increase its passenger limit to 43 million per year ran into problems in 2020 when its application for new aircraft stands was refused by Uttlesford District Council.
But Stansted appealed and its challenge was successful, leaving Uttlesford District Council with a bill of about £2m in legal costs.
