Stansted in new airline bid

At least one full-service or legacy carrier will join the roster of airlines serving Stansted next year as shortage of runway capacity in the south-east begins to bite, according to the airport’s owner.

Charlie Cornish, chief executive of the Manchester Airports Group (MAG), said Stansted was in "deep discussions" with legacy airlines. "We are talking to a whole host of them," he said. "I think as we hit 2016 we'll be able to confirm we've secured some full-service carriers."

Cornish said he expected long-haul destinations to include Middle East hubs and US cities. Legacy carriers were also interested in launching short-haul destinations from Stansted, he added.

The prediction comes against the background of continuing frustration at the lack of progress in solving capacity problems in the south-east, particularly at Heathrow. It is awaiting a decision on a third runway which even if it gets the go-ahead won’t be ready for at least another 10 years.

Against this, passenger demand for travel to and from London continues to rise while Stansted is running at little over 50% capacity, although in the six months to 30 September, it increased passenger numbers by 11%.   www.stansted.com

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