London Stansted hits record passenger numbers as airport expansion plans move forward
London Stansted Airport has broken its May passenger record, welcoming 2.74 million passengers last month and unveiling a key new facility as part of its £1.2 billion investment programme.
The milestone comes as the airport formally submits plans to raise its annual passenger cap, setting the stage for future growth without increasing permitted flight numbers.
The strong performance, up 0.8 percent on May last year, was helped by a surge in demand from football fans, with thousands of Tottenham Hotspur supporters travelling to Bilbao and other Spanish cities to watch their team win the Europa League.
The squad also returned through Stansted, receiving a celebratory water-arch on arrival.
Operational metrics remained high throughout the month.
Some 99% of passengers cleared security in 15 minutes or less, with peak-time queue averages below two and a half minutes. The most travelled destinations were Dublin, Istanbul and Edinburgh, while Spain, Italy and Turkey topped the country rankings.
Stansted opens new arrivals building
Stansted is now handling nearly 30 million passengers annually and continues to expand its infrastructure to match demand. A new domestic arrivals building has just opened, and upgrades to Satellite Two are under way, including modernised gate areas and a refurbished departures lounge.
“London Stansted’s extensive route network and choice of great value destinations continues to see us welcome record numbers of passengers to the airport,” said Nick Millar, Operations Director.
“The month also saw thousands of Spurs fans use the airport as their gateway to Spain and France, plus a number of other countries, as they headed to Bilbao to watch the team triumph in the Europa League final.
“In addition to all our teams working hard to deliver a smooth and stable airport operation for our passengers across what is an extremely busy period, we have also been making excellent progress with our £1.2bn transformation programme.
“In the last few weeks, we have opened our brand-new domestic reclaim building, a significant milestone for the transformation project, and we are underway with the first phase of work to upgrade and modernise Satellite Two, including new flooring, lighting and gate areas plus a refurbished domestic departures lounge.
“Also, as we continue to expand our route network and airlines introduce larger aircraft to carry more customers to more destinations, we anticipate growing up to 51 million passengers a year by the 2040s.
“To accommodate this growth, we have now submitted a planning application to increase the number of passengers we can serve over the next two decades without any increase to the number of flights we are already permitted to operate.”
Stansted submits expansion plan
The airport has now lodged a formal application with Uttlesford District Council to raise its passenger limit from 43 million to 51 million per year by the 2040s.
Crucially, the proposal does not seek to alter flight limits or expand the airport boundary. Instead, it focuses on maximising use of the existing single runway to support long-term regional growth.
The expansion, if approved, is projected to unlock major local benefits, including 4,500 new jobs, improvements to Junction 8 of the M11, enhanced bus services and support for tackling illegal parking.
It would also fund upgrades to the Stansted Express, double the capacity of Stansted Airport College, and promote the use of public transport for half of all passenger journeys. All infrastructure will be powered by 100% renewable energy.
Ahead of submitting the application, the airport conducted extensive engagement with local residents, passengers and businesses. A consultation campaign drew more than 2,800 responses, with nearly 2,000 people expressing support for the proposals.
Gareth Powell, Managing Director of London Stansted, said: “We’ve listened carefully to all the feedback from our neighbours, which has helped shape our plans to grow London Stansted in the most sustainable and responsible way possible.
“We have already kicked off our five-year £1.2bn investment programme to transform the airport, and if this application is approved, we will be able to unlock even more local opportunities and improvements over the next 20 years.
“Making the best use of our existing runway will help create more jobs and training schemes, better facilities for passengers and provide more seats to an even greater choice of destinations.
“We have an exciting and ambitious vision for London Stansted and how we best serve our region, so I’m asking for local people to lend their support so we can make this plan a reality.”
