Stansted expansion given go-ahead

Friday 10 October 2008

Airline & Airport Updates

Plans to expand Stansted Airport have been given the go-ahead by the government.

The approval will allow the airport to serve up to 35 million passengers a year, with expansions to departures and arrivals.

A joint decision from transport secretary Geoff Hoon and communities and local government secretary Hazel Blears will allow numbers to be increased on Stansted's existing runway.

Stewart Wingate, the airport managing director, explained: "With longer term forecasts predicting passenger growth, this decision secures our future and allows us to plan ahead with certainty.

"This is great news for the millions of leisure and business travellers who depend on Stansted to keep them connected with Europe and the wider world."

The approval follows Pegasus Airlines' introduction of new cheap flights from Stansted to Istanbul from October 1st, which will depart on Fridays.

Ali Sabanci, the carrier's chairman, claimed that the increased flights would help provide "greater choice and flexibility" to customers.