Stansted has received planning permission to extend its terminal building.
The decision, made by the Planning Inspectorate on October 31, will allow the airport to increase floorspace by 16,500 square metres through the construction of a three-bay extension at the back of the terminal.
Stansted managing director Gareth Powell hailed the “excellent news”, adding: “Our aim is to be the airport of choice for even more passengers, and we are confident we can achieve that goal by further enhancing our facilities and attracting even more airlines to the airport to provide the best range of destinations.”
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The Planning Inspectorate, which held a hearing about the application on October 17, backed the plans after recognising the benefits put forward by the airport, including improved customer service standards.
The inspectorate added that the local economy would be boosted by “very significant economic benefits”.
The extension is set to create a more spacious departure lounge with additional seating, as well as a greater choice of shops, bars and restaurants, “state-of-the-art” check-in desks, increased baggage capacity and a larger security hall featuring more security lanes equipped with next-generation scanners.
Stansted, which has reported serving more than 27 million passengers in the last 12 months, wants to increase the terminal capacity to up to 43 million passengers a year.
Powell said: “Stansted is now entering a new phase in its history, as we look to serve more passengers than ever before.
“Our unique and growing route network, and easy access to and from London and the east of England, is a fantastic platform to build on. We know Stansted will have a critical role to play in serving the future capacity needs of London.
“Being a single terminal airport enables us to offer the millions of passengers who choose us each year a simple, efficient and reliable experience when they fly. This is something they clearly value and enjoy when choosing which airport to use, so they can be confident our plans will build on this success and make every airport journey even better in the future.
“Stansted is a national and regional asset, and our investment plans are not only an exciting prospect for our passengers and colleagues, they will also boost our competitiveness within the London aviation market, which in turn will support economic growth, jobs and vital international connectivity for London and the east of England.”
Stansted is owned and operated by Manchester Airports Group, whose portfolio also includes Manchester airport and East Midlands airport.
Photo: An aerial impression of the extension (Stansted airport)