Stansted Airport Parking - Airport History

Please find below a brief history of Stansted Airport which we hope that you will find useful. If you wish to make a booking then please click on the appropriate link on your left. Alternatively you can call our office, where one of our helpful staff will only be happy to help.

Stansted is the UK's third largest airport for international scheduled passengers and one of the fastest growing major airports in the world. Stansted Airport Started its life as a war-time base for the United States Army Air Force in 1942. Their legacy was one of the UK's longest runways which opened the way to civil development.

The fledgling airport expanded modestly until its future was re-shaped by a government decision. It was earmarked as London's third airport. The Government subsequently had to retreat and find other alternatives when it met with so many protests and opposition. Stansted seemed to be heading for obscurity.

• Number of terminals: 1
• Number of passengers: 16 million
• Number of airlines: 26
• Number of destinations: 105
• Number of runways: 1

However in the 1970's when a world oil crisis and hard economic times deemed the alternative site too expensive. The British Airports Authority, anticipating better times ahead, revived the idea of major growth at Stansted and in 1979 it was, once again, designated London's third airport.

It was to take a further six years and a long public enquiry before the go-ahead finally came in 1985, with it was the initial approval for Stansted to handle up to 8 million passengers a year.

In 1991 a new and widely acclaimed terminal was opened but because of the increasing demands made on the fastest growing London airport that came under pressure. A £60 million extension to the terminal building was carried out and opened in April 2002. Stansted Airport is set to grow to serve 25 million passengers per annum by 2010.