London Stansted Airport: Green light given to plans to extend terminal and improve customer experience

London Stansted Airport has been given the green light to extend its terminal, boosting capacity and enabling it to introduce a host of additional on-site amenities for passengers. 

The decision from the planning inspectorate, handed down today (October 31) following a hearing on October 17, has been hailed by the airport as “excellent news” for passengers, colleagues and the wider region.

However, it will be less positive news to some groups, such as Historic England, which filed objections largely due to concerns about the impact on the original 1991 Norman Foster-designed terminal. Potential environmental issues, such as the effects on water pollution, were also raised.

The approved plans mean Stansted can move ahead creating a larger departure lounge, state-of-the-art check-in desks, increased baggage capacity, a bigger security hall, and more bars, shops and restaurants.

The plans are key to the airport achieving its aim of increasing terminal capacity to its permitted limit of 43 million passengers every year.

The applicant had submitted a list of benefits it believes the extension would deliver to both its own operations and the local area. These include improving customer service, airport capacity, and delivering a host of “wider economic benefits”.

In his decision notice, Mr Cullum Parker wrote he agreed the proposal “would result in very significant economic benefits which weigh in favour of the proposal accordingly”.

Gareth Powell, London 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 the 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.”

London Stansted is the fourth-busiest airport in the country, serving more than 27 million passengers in the last 12 months.