It could become one of the largest airports in Europe
Brand new photos show upgrades at London Stansted Airport ahead of a huge transformation. The airport is speeding up work on changes that will see new passenger facilities added.
Plans were announced in October 2024 and detailed designs have been developed since. Work has also been undertaken to enable the progression of the scheme, which could see the terminal capacity grow to serve more than 40 million people per year.
The next phase of development begin later this summer with the construction of new “skylink” walkways. This is to connect the terminal to existing satellite buildings, enabling Stansted’s track transit people mover system to then be decommissioned. This will enable the terminal building to be extended in later phases.
The showpiece part of the transformation is the three-bay extension to the existing terminal, creating a more spacious area with new shops, bars and restaurants. Once complete it is thought it will make Stansted the largest single-terminal airport in Europe.
A series of projects have already been completed or started, including a new domestic arrival building, an enlarged security hall, and a new airside access security facility.
Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s managing director, said: “This year has already been another exciting period for everyone connected with London Stansted as we continue to welcome a record number of passengers, new airlines and routes and drive forward the airport’s transformation programme.
“We have real momentum behind our vision for London Stansted and a strong platform to build upon having joined the big league of airports last year when we passed the 30m passengers a year milestone and securing planning permission to serve up to 51m passengers a year.
“This presents us with a great opportunity to develop and optimise the infrastructure of the airport as we continue to grow passenger numbers and secure links to even more global destinations over the next couple of decades. We sit at the heart of the Innovation Corridor that runs from London to Cambridge and onwards to Peterborough and is growing at a rapid pace.”
He continued: “This economic success is underpinned by excellent international connectivity, so our ability to increase passenger numbers coupled with our investment plans will bring new opportunities for growth across the Corridor.
“We have made great progress on enabling works to set the scene for the next stage as we now ramp up work and move to the delivery phase that will shape the airport of the future. We are unique among major airports in operating a single terminal, which means we can give people a simple, efficient and seamless experience, which we know they value, whether travelling for business, leisure or to visit friends and family. These exciting plans mean we are able to retain all those benefits, while introducing an array of new facilities and giving us the space we need to grow.
“Given the strong economic performance of our region, our ability to grow passenger numbers by making best use of the available runway capacity and the investment in new facilities, I’m confident the airport’s future is looking very bright.”

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