There appears to be no stopping the expansion of the UK’s third busiest airport, but a decision is awaited before the next phase can go ahead. Mike Toynbee reports
Actor Christian Slater, who cut the ribbon at the recent inaugural ceremony to welcome American Airlines' first flight into London Stansted from New York JFK, was certainly not suffering the hallucinations of the character he played in the successful West End stage production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Admittedly, there was a jazz band playing before breakfast - "I've never played at this time of the day unless I happen to be still performing from the night before," said one of the bemused musicians. But there were none of the nightmare scenes as witnessed at Heathrow and Gatwick this summer. Despite its reputation as a low-cost gateway – no-frills Ryanair operates to close on 100 destinations with fares from £5 one-way – the Essex airport was busy but not uncomfortably so. Queues at check-in and security were no longer than might be expected at that time of day. Sanity preserved, the Hollywood star, who is a frequent traveller to London, would not have needed any of the electric shock treatment meted out in the play. When Stansted's new terminal was controversially opened as London's third airport in 1991, it was designed to handle eight million passengers a year. With the addition of a satellite terminal, that figure has now trebled to 24 million, claiming to make it the fastest growing major airport in Europe. Currently, it is more than half way through a £40 million terminal extension, which will create an extra 5,900m2 of floor space for the international arrivals area, with the expanded immigration, baggage and customs halls opening in June and the project fully completed by the end of next year. A five-month public inquiry into the airport's planning application to increase its annual capacity to 35 million passengers has just finished. Against strong local opposition for further expansion, Stansted's owners, BAA, have emphasised the "substantial economic and social benefits" to be gained if the proposed development is given the go-ahead. This includes the estimated 3,800 additional jobs that would be created and the tens of millions of pounds that would be generated into the local economy. Said Nick Barton, Stansted's business development and planning director: "We now await the outcome of the Inspector's report and the decision of the Government, but we remain very confident of the strong and compelling case we have made." Separately, there is a proposal for a second runway. It is already the UK's third busiest airport, with 33 airlines serving more than 160 destinations in 34 countries. In addition to American's service to New York, other new destinations include Munich (Air Berlin); Belfast (Ryanair); Funchal (easyJet) and Manchester (Eastern Airways). As well as its reputation as the UK's leading low-cost gateway, Stansted also attracted the first all-Business Class carriers to serve the UK: Eos and Maxjet. Eos, which operates Boeing 757s with just 48 seats, flies to and from New York JFK and is adding a New York Newark service next spring, increasing the weekly total of flights to 58. Earlier this year, in July, it opened its Club 48 gate-side departure lounge at Stansted, offering a tranquil haven. Business facilities include individual computer workstations and wi-fi access, and there is also a bar and catering facilities. Maxjet, which also launched its UK services two years ago on the New York JFK route, has since added Los Angeles, which is being stepped up to five flights a week from December 5, with a sixth weekly departure beginning on February 15. It is also adding a fifth weekly service on the Las Vegas route from this month, and is increasing the New York service to 10 flights a week from March 1. However, Maxject dropped the Washington-Stansted route at the end of October. At-a-glance guide
Location: 55km (34 miles) to the northeast of London
Transport links: Stansted Express operates to and from Liverpool Street (journey time 46 minutes), via Tottenham Hale (35 minutes), where it connects with the London Underground. From January, an extra 13 services a week are planned; one-way fare £15.50 (Standard) and £24.50 (First); National Express and Terravision Express Shuttle bus services to Liverpool Street and Victoria, plus various direct services to UK provincial cities, including Oxford; taxis take 60-90 minutes and cost around £85 to central London
Executive lounges: Servisair pay-as-you-enter lounge; American Airlines (new facility opening spring); Eos; Maxjet
Facilities: airport-wide wireless internet access; interdenominational chapel; business centre (in Enterprise House), showers; extensive range of retail outlets, including top-name brands, Hamleys etc; duty-free; wide choice of restaurants, cafes and bars, including a Caviar House seafood bar
Banks/cashpoints: ATMs, bureaux de change and an internet exchange
Airport hotels: Radisson SAS, Hilton, Express by Holiday Inn
Car rental desks: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar, National
Website: www.stanstedairport.com
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