London Stansted Airport
London Stansted Airport is an international airport near Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex, approximately 42 miles (68 km) north-east of central London. It uses the IATA code STN and ICAO location indicator EGSS. The airport handled 29,758,490 passengers in 2025, making it the third-busiest airport in the London system by passenger traffic.[1][2]
Location and role
Stansted lies in the Uttlesford district of Essex, between Bishop's Stortford and Saffron Walden and close to the Hertfordshire boundary. It is one of the principal airports serving London, but is outside Greater London. Direct access from the M11 and an airport railway station beneath the terminal connect it with London, Cambridge and the surrounding region.[3][4]
The airport specialises in short-haul scheduled services and has an extensive European network, alongside selected routes to North Africa, the Middle East and other markets. At the 2026 snapshot, the airport described more than 190 destinations. Ryanair is the dominant airline, while easyJet, Jet2.com and a changing group of scheduled and charter operators also use the airport.[2][5]
Stansted also supports dedicated cargo, charter, business-aviation and state flights. Its long runway, remote stands and position within the London terminal airspace make it suitable for aircraft ranging from regional types to Code F aircraft, including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8.[6][7]
Ownership, operation and regulation
Stansted Airport Limited operates the airport as part of Manchester Airports Group, generally styled MAG. MAG acquired Stansted from Heathrow Airport Holdings in 2013 for £1.5 billion. The group also owns Manchester and East Midlands airports.[6][8]
MAG's shareholders are IFM Investors with 35.5 per cent, Manchester City Council with 35.5 per cent, and the other nine Greater Manchester councils collectively with 29 per cent. The UK Civil Aviation Authority lists London Stansted as a certificated aerodrome under ICAO indicator EGSS.[9][10]
Current flight procedures, declared distances and temporary restrictions are published through the UK Aeronautical Information Publication and NOTAM system. Commercial airport material is not a substitute for those operational sources.[11]
History
The airfield was constructed during the Second World War for the United States Army Air Forces. Its runway was built in 1942 and Stansted Mountfitchet became a base for Eighth Air Force units, including Martin B-26 Marauder bombers. On D-Day in June 1944, aircraft operating from Stansted took part in the air operations over occupied France.[6][12]
After the war, civil authorities developed the site for commercial use. The newly created British Airports Authority assumed control in 1966, and the original passenger terminal was extended in 1970. A 1978 government white paper identified Stansted for major expansion, leading to a long public inquiry and approval in 1985 for phased development.[6]
Construction of a substantially new airport began in 1986. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the £400 million terminal, aprons and taxiways on 15 March 1991. The first passenger departure four days later was an Air UK service to Glasgow, while an Air France flight from Paris was the first arrival. The terminal, designed by Foster Associates, used a low modular roof, underfloor building services and separate satellite gate buildings to keep the main hall visually open.[6][13]
Passenger growth and the expansion of low-cost airlines transformed Stansted during the late 1990s and 2000s. Parliament raised the passenger air transport movement limit in 1999, and planning consent for capacity of about 25 million passengers followed in 2002. An arrivals extension opened in 2008. The airport received approval for Code F aircraft in 2010, and MAG completed its acquisition in 2013.[6]
Jet2.com opened its first southern England base at Stansted in 2017. Emirates introduced a scheduled Dubai service in 2018, marking a significant expansion of the airport's long-haul offer.[6]
Terminal and satellite buildings
Stansted has one main passenger terminal. Check-in, security, arrivals, baggage reclaim and the central departure lounge are within the terminal, while most gates occupy satellite buildings on the airfield side. Passengers reach different gate areas by walkways or the Track Transit System, depending on the satellite and operating arrangement.[13]
The terminal has been extended and remodelled several times. The 2008 arrivals extension increased landside space, while later MAG projects upgraded the departure lounge, Satellite One, check-in facilities and the baggage system. These changes retained the basic architectural concept of the 1991 building.[13]
An ongoing £1.1 billion transformation programme includes an extension to the existing terminal, a new shoreline check-in hall, an enlarged security area, additional departure-lounge space and new pedestrian Skylinks intended to replace the Track Transit System. The programme is under development; proposed facilities should not be described as complete until the airport confirms entry into service.[14]
Runway and airfield
Stansted has one runway, 04/22, measuring 3,049 metres by 46 metres with a grooved asphalt surface. The NATS Type A chart effective 20 January 2026 records the following declared distances:[11]
| Direction | Take-off run available | Take-off distance available | Landing distance available |
| 04 | 3,049 m | 3,338 m | 2,749 m |
| 22 | 3,049 m | 3,316 m | 3,049 m |
The difference between physical runway length and directional take-off or landing distances results from clearways and a displaced landing threshold. Aircraft performance planning must use the current aeronautical publication rather than the physical dimension alone.[11]
Three principal passenger satellite buildings stand south of the terminal. Cargo and maintenance facilities occupy separate parts of the airport, while fixed-base operators on the former northside terminal site support business and state aviation.[7]
Airlines, cargo and other operations
Stansted's scheduled network is strongly oriented towards direct European routes. Ryanair bases a large fleet at the airport and accounts for a substantial share of passenger movements. easyJet and Jet2.com provide additional based operations, and other airlines serve regional, leisure and selected long-haul markets. Because the operating roster and seasonal route map change frequently, travellers should use the airport's live airline and destination directories.[5][2]
The airport is also an important UK air-freight centre. Dedicated freighter operations supplement belly cargo carried on passenger aircraft. General-aviation facilities serve corporate aircraft and official visits, physically separated from the main passenger terminal operation.[15][7]
Ground transport
Stansted Airport railway station is directly below the terminal. Stansted Express services connect the airport with London Liverpool Street, and other trains link it with Cambridge and intermediate stations. Timings and stopping patterns change by timetable and engineering work.[3]
Local and long-distance coaches use the airport bus and coach station, including services to London and other airports. By road, Stansted is reached from junction 8 or 8A of the M11, with the terminal approached via the A120 corridor. Road charges and pick-up arrangements are operational information and may change.[16][4]
Traffic statistics
| Year | Passengers | Fixed-wing air transport movements | Change from previous year |
| 2024 | 29,694,316 | 188,987 | — |
| 2025 | 29,758,490 | 189,096 | Passengers broadly unchanged; movements +0.1% |
The CAA's complete 2025 annual dataset records terminal and transit passengers and air transport movements. Its figures supersede older airport facts pages that still quote 2018 traffic and facility snapshots.[1][17]
Related pages
Sources
London Stansted Airport history — Stansted Airport Limited
London Stansted facts and figures — Stansted Airport Limited
London Stansted Airport and MAG — Stansted Airport Limited
Annual airport data 2025 — UK Civil Aviation Authority
UK certificated aerodromes — UK Civil Aviation Authority
London Stansted runway 04/22 Type A chart — NATS Aeronautical Information Service, effective 20 January 2026
London Stansted terminal transformation — Stansted Airport Limited
Terminal building 30th anniversary — Stansted Airport Limited, 15 March 2021
London Stansted airlines — Stansted Airport Limited, accessed 29 August 2026
Travel by train — Stansted Airport Limited, accessed 29 August 2026
Travel by bus or coach — Stansted Airport Limited, accessed 29 August 2026
Travel by car — Stansted Airport Limited, accessed 29 August 2026
General aviation at London Stansted — Stansted Airport Limited
Cargo at London Stansted — Stansted Airport Limited
Image source and licence: Aerial view of London Stansted Airport — Richard Humphrey, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
