London
Stansted Airport
Over the last few years, Stansted Airport has grown to become the
UK's third largest airport for international scheduled passengers.
In fact, with growth in passenger numbers of 17.5% during 2002, it
is one of the fastest growing major airports in the world. Situated
30 miles to the north-east of the centre of London, it has immediate
access to the M11 motorway and is just 10 minutes from the M25 arterial
motorway which circles London. It is ideally located for direct motorway
access to both the Midlands and the North of England, the Cambridge
Technology corridor, and East Anglia; as well as all areas within
Greater London and South-East England.
During April, 2002, a new award-winning £60 million extension
to the terminal building was opened, specifically designed to keep
pace with continued projected growth. With a solid glass frontage,
the building is light and airy, with a pleasant open concourse to
allow plenty of space for passengers, excellent shopping facilities,
and highly regarded refreshment centres and restaurants.
Most airport terminals are poorly laid out and uncomfortably congested
at all but off-peak times - with an atmosphere and environment which
discourages good customer service, and frequently sours the experience
for the traveller even if they've been luck and found the cheapest airline tickets, whether on a business trip or a family holiday.
Every effort is being made by Stansted's designers and management
to minimise these problems, and the frustration they cause, as they
meet the challenge to serve an additional 40% passengers, to 25 million
per year, by 2010. Further investment of £250 million has been
approved to support this impressive growth.
Relevant
Contacts
Stansted Airport telephone switchboard +44 (0)870 000 0303
Minicom +44 (0)1279 663725
Customs +44 (0)1279 680670
Immigration +44 (0)1279 680118
Police +44 (0)1279 680298
About
the airport operator - British Airports Authority and airport history
BAA (British Airports Authority), which will have invested £1
billion in Stansted by 2010, is the world's leading airport company,
and owns seven UK airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, which
are amongst the world's busiest. Stansted Airport accommodates 26
different airlines, which serve over 100 destinations world-wide.
The runway is one of the longest in the UK, and was originally
built for the American Air Force to handle the huge American bombers,
such as the giant "Flying Fortress", during the second world
war. Many thousands of sorties were flown from Stansted, and local
pubs still proudly display photographs of the planes and their
crews !
