London Stansted’s planning application to increase the number of passengers it is permitted to serve to 43 million a year has been approved by Uttlesford District Council.
Welcoming the decision, London Stansted chief executive, Ken O’Toole, said: “We are delighted that Uttlesford District Council has today approved our planning application to enable the airport to grow over the next decade.
“This will boost our region’s economic growth and deliver 5,000 additional jobs at London Stansted Airport.
“Today’s decision offers London Stansted and its airline partners the long-term clarity we need to make further investment decisions at the airport but also importantly provides the local community with the assurance that our future growth will be delivered in a measured and sustainable way.
“From the outset our local community has been a vital partner in this planning process and it was their feedback which lead us to put forward a proposal which did not seek an increase in the number of flights and committed to deliver the growth within a smaller noise footprint than our existing permissions require.”
Stansted said it would offer the airport the opportunity to making the best use of existing capacity, supporting international connectivity, including more long-haul routes.
The growth will be accompanied by a comprehensive package of community measures, the airport added.
“The decision is great news for the airport, our staff and the growth ambitions of the region, London and the wider UK and will improve passenger choice and convenience and boost international long-haul routes to fast-growing markets like China, India and the US,” continued O’Toole.
“The combination of the strong economic health of our catchment, our available runway capacity, the £600 million investment we are making in our facilities and the continuing desire of local residents to travel by air by London Stansted, will collectively ensure that the airport has a bright future.
“I’d like to thank the hundreds of local residents, businesses, staff and on-site partners who have passionately backed our plans and I look forward to working with them all as we move into the next phase of our future.“
London Stansted Airport is the third largest in London, currently serving over 27 million passengers a year.
As a market leader for short-haul travel across Europe, with over 190 destinations across 38 countries, Stansted serves more scheduled connections to Europe than any other airport in the world apart from Munich.