Stansted Airport Given Go Ahead For Increase In Passenger Capacity On Runway

Thursday 9th October 2008

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Stansted Airport have reacted with delight at news from the Government that they have permitted an increase in passenger numbers on their single runway.

The decision will allow Stansted Airport to serve 35 million passengers every year after the decision was made by Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon and Secretary of State for Communities Hazel Blears. Responding to the news was the managing director of Stansted Airport Stewart Wingate who said;

"We are naturally delighted with this decision coming as it does after a full and independent public inquiry last year. With longer term forecasts predicting passenger growth, this decision secures our future and allows us to plan ahead with certainty. We will now take time to study the full detail of the decision, including the independent Planning Inspector's report, before commenting further. What we can say today however is that this is great news for the millions of leisure and business travellers who depend on Stansted to keep them connected with Europe and the wider world."

The decision from the government follows an initial application made by Stansted Airport on the 26th of April 2006 in which the airport requested from Uttlesford District Council (UDC) the removal of a 25 million passenger capacity limit. The request was refused on the 29th of November 2006 and was subsequently appealed by Stansted Airport on the 30th of November 2006. Following this an independant enquiry was held from the 30th of May to the 19th of October 2007.

An application for the runway capacity growth was made in March 2008 and was in no way related to a seperate application made by the airport for a second runway.