Article from BTNews 26 FEBRUARY 2018
Stansted expansion bid
A planning application seeking to raise the cap on the number of passengers Stansted is allowed to serve from 35m to 43m a year was submitted by the airport last week.
The bid is backed by a commitment to stay within current approved limits on aircraft noise and flight numbers. Officials say the expansion is necessary to enable Stansted to meet demand.
The application seeks permission to make best use of the airport’s existing single runway over the next decade, a move which its backers say will deliver significant economic benefits to the UK and the East of England region.
It will also create 5,000 new on-site jobs, improve passenger choice and convenience and boost international long-haul routes to fast-growing markets like China, India and the US, they add.
“Detailed analysis included in the planning application demonstrates how the next generation of new quieter aircraft will ensure future passenger growth can be achieved without increasing the number of flights or noise footprint already permitted.”
Airport owner MAG said in the five years since it acquired Stansted, passenger numbers had increased by nearly 10m a year to 26m through a 25% increase in destinations served (190) and a doubling in number of airlines (22).
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