Stansted Airport to expand capacity to 43 million passengers

Stansted Airport to expand capacity to 43 million passengers
Credit: London Stansted

London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – London Stansted has announced details of a £1.1bn investment programme to expand passenger numbers to 43 million a year and expand the number of destinations it flies to.

The centrepiece of the five-year program is a £600m attachment to the airport’s existing terminal, with more seating spots plus new shops, bars and restaurants. The projects were announced at the government’s International Investment Summit and follow the airport reporting record-breaking passenger numbers for each month in 2024. Planning approval for the extension was secured last October, and Stansted released pictures to showcase its plans for the first time.

How will the expansion increase job opportunities?

The development seeks to help enable the airport to serve up to 43 million passengers a year which in turn would develop to 5,000 new on-site jobs, and witness the airport’s economic contribution double to £2 billion annually.

What are the plans for new destinations and airlines?

In July it disclosed it had passed a milestone of carrying 29 million passengers in one year for the first time. It currently passes to 200 destinations across 40 countries. Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, stated: “Stansted is embarking on an exciting new chapter. We aim to add even more choices of airlines to continue growing our extensive route network that is valued and enjoyed by the millions of passengers who choose to fly from London Stansted every year.

“We are unique among major airports in operating a single terminal, which means we can give people a simple, efficient and seamless experience. These exciting plans mean we can retain all those benefits while introducing an array of new facilities and giving us the space we need to grow.”

Further, he contended that since receiving planning permission last October, their teams have carefully assessed every touch point of a passenger’s journey through the terminal to ensure the extension transforms the airport understanding by adding more space, choice, convenience and range of services on offer, from check-in right through to arrivals.

Daniele Naddei

Daniele Naddei is a journalist at Parliament News covering European affairs, was born in Naples on April 8, 1991. He also serves as the Director of the CentroSud24 newspaper. During the period from 2010 to 2013, Naddei completed an internship at the esteemed local radio station Radio Club 91. Subsequently, he became the author of a weekly magazine published by the Italian Volleyball Federation of Campania (FIPAV Campania), which led to his registration in the professional order of Journalists of Campania in early 2014, listed under publicists. From 2013 to 2018, he worked as a freelance photojournalist and cameraman for external services for Rai and various local entities, including TeleCapri, CapriEvent, and TLA. Additionally, between 2014 and 2017, Naddei collaborated full-time with various newspapers in Campania, both in print and online. During this period, he also resumed his role as Editor-in-Chief at Radio Club 91.
Naddei is actively involved as a press officer for several companies and is responsible for editing cultural and social events in the city through his association with the Medea Fattoria Sociale. This experience continued until 2021. Throughout these years, he hosted or collaborated on football sports programs for various local broadcasters, including TLA, TvLuna, TeleCapri, Radio Stonata, Radio Amore, and Radio Antenna Uno.
From 2016 to 2018, Naddei was employed as an editor at newspapers of national interest within the Il24.it circuit, including Internazionale24, Salute24, and OggiScuola. Since 2019, Naddei has been one of the creators of the Rabona television program "Calcio è Passione," which has been broadcast on TeleCapri Sport since 2023.