London Stansted Airport (STN)

About London Stansted International Airport

London Stansted International Airport is the third largest of five international airports in the London Area and is situated roughly thirty miles north-east of London in the Uttlesford District of Essex. Stansted acts as the hub for a number of prominent European low-cost airlines including Ryanair and easyJet. There are in excess of 34 scheduled and charter airlines serving 160 destinations worldwide operating out of Stansted, with over 23.8 million passengers passing through it each year.

Parking at the Airport

There are a range of parking options at London Stansted International Airport. If you are picking up or dropping off, or only staying for a matter of hours, the short stay car park is situated a brief walk from the terminal building.
There is also mid stay car parking available, appropriate for those taking short breaks or business trips. This car park, eparking Stansted is situated on the way into the airport and there is a courtesy bus service running every ten minutes, taking approximately five minutes to reach the terminal.
For passengers making longer trips or holidays, there is the Pink Elephant Stansted which is situated on the outskirts of the airport also provides a transfer service every 20 minutes for a duration of roughly 15 minutes.
In addition there is also valet parking offered on a pre-booked basis for those requiring a quick and convenient onward journey on departure and arrival.

Facilities and Services

London Stansted International Airport provides scheduled and charter flights to 160 destinations, including Vancouver, Malaga, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. Airlines operating out of the airport include American Airlines, Air Berlin, El Al Israel Airlines, and Cyprus Airways. Charter operators using Stansted as a base include First Choice Airways, Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomsonfly.
There is one terminal at the airport, offering a wide range of amenities including toilets and baby care, arcade entertainment, internet access, cashpoints and money changing facilities, as well as a number of shopping and dining options. The Servisair executive lounge is available for pre-booking and provides a pleasant and tranquil atmosphere for travellers. There is access to business facilities as well as complimentary snacks and beverages, and so is suitable for any passenger wishing to relax before their flight.

Getting To The Airport

The airport railway station is located below the terminal building and the Stansted Express links the airport to London Liverpool Street, with a regular service running every fifteen minutes. There is also the ONE Rail service, linking the airport with the local area, including Bishops Stortford, Sawbridgeworth, Roydon, Cheshunt, Northumberland Park and Stratford. Central Trains operate services that link the airport with the Midlands and the North.
There are a number of bus and coach services linking the airport with the local area and also most major towns and cities nationwide, operated by Easybus, Snowdrop Travel, National Express, Terravision, First, Arriva amongst others.
London Stansted International Airport is located just off the M11. If travelling from London take Junction 8a or if travelling from Cambridge take Junction 8.

History of Stansted International Airport

Stansted was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force during the Second World War. At that time it was known as Stansted Mountfitchet Airfield and was utilised as a bomber airfield and maintenance depot. Initially the base was occupied by the USAAF Eighth Air Force and it was the US Air Force that built the runway, completing it in 1942.

The 30th Air Depot Group took over the site on 7th August 1943 when Stansted was officially opened and then control of the base was transferred to the Ninth Air Force on 16th October of that year. There was a change of residence again on 8th February 1944 when 344th Bombardment Group arrived and they commenced operations in the following month, ultimately assisting in preparations for the Normandy invasion by striking vital bridges in France.

In addition to being an operational bomber base, Stansted airfield also acted as a maintenance and supply depot, focusing on overhauls and modifications of B-26s. After the Normandy landings the operation was moved to France but Stansted was still utilised as a supply storage area for the support of aircraft on the continent.

The Americans left the base in August 1945 and Stansted was taken over by the RAF No. 263 Maintenance Unit for storage. Also, for a short spell immediately after the war, the site was used for detaining German POWs. In August 1947 control of the site was transferred to the Air Ministry although in 1954, the US military came back to extend the runway with a view to transferred the base to NATO but it never came about and the British Airports Authority took over in 1966.

Initially Stansted was used by holiday charter operators attempting to avoid the considerable cost of operating out of Heathrow and Gatwick but ultimately it was the intention of the BAA and the government to extend Stansted so that it would help to relieve the two major London airports of excess congestion in the future. Stansted’s first terminal building was unveiled in 1969 and was further developed the following year in order to cope with the fast growing number of passengers.

The Government White Paper ‘Airport Policy’ issued in 1978 outlined the proposed major expansion of Stansted and two years later BAA submitted a request for planning permission to the Uttlesford District Council. Eventually, after an extensive public enquiry, the Government gave its permission for the development although there were a number of conditions including a cap on the number of take-offs and landings by passenger aircraft.

Work started on the development works in 1986 and then five years later the £400 million new terminal, aprons and taxiways were opened by the Queen. These improvements increased Stansted’s capacity from two to eight million passengers each year.

The cap was raised by Parliament in 1999, permitting the commencement of the second phase of expansion to proceed and the works started the following year. The passenger numbers passing through London Stansted International Airport have continued to increase and in April 2007 construction work began on a £40 million extension project for the main terminal building in order to expand and improve facilities.