London Stansted reports busiest ever year as £1.1bn expansion gets underway
London Stansted has reported a record year of passenger traffic as it pushes ahead with a £1.1bn expansion plan unveiled in the Autumn Budget.
The hub to the North East of London welcomed 29.8m passengers in 2024, a 5.8 per cent increase on the previous record of 28.1m in 2019.
It followed the airport’s busiest ever December, which saw 2.23m festive flyers pass through.
Stansted boss Gareth Powell hailed a “fantastic year” and forecast a busy 2025.
“Our success continues to be driven by the endless possibilities to travel affordably and conveniently from London Stansted with the choice of around fantastic 200 destinations, plus the reliable and efficient airport operation we are able to deliver for our passengers,” he added.
The airport is due to begin work on its landmark £1.1bn investment plan in 2025, following confirmation by the government in October’s Autumn Budget.
The centrepiece of the proposals involve a £600m extension of its terminal, with new shops, bars and seating areas.
It is expected to create some 5,000 jobs and double Stansted’s annual contribution to the UK economy to around £2bn.
Once the works are complete, Stansted says it will welcome around 43m passenger per year, 2m ahead of rival Gatwick’s annual figure.
Powell said: “Our £1.1bn transformation programme in now underway, with a number of new projects already progressing well, including the development of our own on-site solar farm, the introduction of barrierless access to the express set down area plus a new domestic baggage reclaim facility as we continue to enhance the passenger experience.”