10 October 2008

BAA welcomes Stansted capacity rise

Government approval for increasing the use of StanstedÃ¢â¬â¢s single runway to allow it to cater for up to 35 million passengers a year has been welcomed by owner BAA.

The green light from new transport secretary Geoff Hoon and Hazel Blears, communities and local government secretary, will remove a 25 million-passenger a year cap on the airport.

It will enable the Essex airport to increase the limit on air transport movements to 264,000 a year.

Stansted, the UK's third busiest airport, currently handles almost 23 million passengers and 184,000 air transport movements a year.

Airport managing director, Stewart Wingate 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."

by Phil Davies

Post your comment

Your Comments (6)

Transport nit picking

By Train: East Coast Express mainline Peterborough-London 43 minutes - No stops Victoria - Gatwick 30 mins - No stops Stansted to Peterborough or north UK say Peterborough 70 miles north of London. The nightmare begins: Magical mystery tour...this is it: Last viable train 9pm. Stansted to London Liverpool Street, walk to underground Tube Liverpool Street to Kings Cross Transfer to east coast main line Kings Cross. Last train North 10:30 pm Simply you cannot get a direct connection onto the main east coast line UNLESS you first travel south and go through the centre of London then go North again!

By JULIAN BRAY MCIPR,NUJ,MMC, Friday, October 10, 2008
Stansted is not in the Midlands!!

I agree the transport links could be better, but as far as Stansted being in the Midlands..?!!? It's located around 25 miles north of London itself, about the same distance north as Luton. Peterborough is another 60 odd miles further north, and speaking as someone who lives in Leicester - the most central part of the UK - Stansted is certainly nowhere near me! Its the same distance from London as LGW and LHR by tube.

By Phil Shipman, Friday, October 10, 2008
Stansted - where it is !

Hi Julian Excellent - but Stansted is not nearly 100 miles by road from London - it is no more than 40 miles - straight down the M11 which takes one to the North Circular Road and then into central London. Much easier than driving to Heathrow !

By John Adams, Friday, October 10, 2008
Clarification of earlier comment:

I've changed the first paragraph: All very well but in order to get to "London" Stansted its nearly 100 miles from London by road! Less as the crow flies. Rail and road links need to be vastly improved, you cannot get into London by train after 9pm in the evening from Stansted in order to join the last late night main east coast line northwards leaving at 10:30pm for Peterborough, York, Scotland. To get to nearby Peterborough on the main east coast line to Scotland you first have to travel south to London in the City,Liverpool Street, jump on the Underground then to Kings Cross and back up the main east coast line again.

By JULIAN BRAY MCIPR,NUJ,MMC, Friday, October 10, 2008
Stansted - location and train service

The speaker ought to get his facts about Stansted Airport correct. It is less than 40 miles form Lonodon - not nearly 100 as he says. There is a train service to London every 15 minutes which runs until either 00.30 during the week or 01.30 at weekends. The trains are really old and in disgraceful condition and often cancelled because of engineering work, but at least most of the time they run !

By John Adams, Friday, October 10, 2008
BAA pulling a slow one.....

All very well but in order to get to "London" Stansted its nearly 100 miles from London! Rail and road links need to be improved, you cannot get into London by train after 9pm in the evening from Stansted and to get to nearby Peterborough on the main east coast line to Scotland you first have to travel south to London in the City,Liverpool Street, jump on the Underground then to Kings Cross and back up the main east coast line again. Approx 230 mile diversion. Really bad rail operator Central Trains serves Stansted/Peterborough and Anglia (Nat Express) Trouble is its billed as "London" Stansted and every one believes it....It should be Midlands Stansted...don't fall for it Amercian Airlines did and quickly realised the mistake...

By JULIAN BRAY MCIPR,NUJ,MMC, Friday, October 10, 2008