Stansted Airport has revised its plans for growth and will not seek to increase the number of flights it operates.
About 26 million passengers use Stansted each year – an increase of nearly 10 million passengers since five years ago. Stansted’s growth potential is currently limited by a planning cap that would prevent the airport handling more than 35 million passengers per annum (mppa).
Following a public consultation this summer, it will now apply to raise the cap to 43 mppa to enable it to meet forecast growth in the next decade. The revised proposal represents a smaller increase in passenger numbers than originally proposed at 44.5 mppa.
Stansted said this would enable growth to be met without increasing the number of aircraft movements currently permitted to operate each year.
“The feedback we received from our neighbours during our extensive consultation was clear – that they support the ongoing growth and investment in the airport and welcome a further increase in destinations and choice,” said chief executive Ken O’Toole.
“Local residents also told us that they were concerned about the proposal to increase the number of flights that the airport is permitted to operate each year. We’ve listened to those concerns and decided to adapt our proposals so growth can be met within the current cap on the number of aircraft movements,” he added.
“That means the airport’s growth over the next 10 years to serve 43 million passengers can be achieved without increasing the existing limits on aircraft movements and noise.”
Stansted said it had advised Uttlesford District Council about changes to its future planning application, which is due to be submitted in early 2018.
Article originally appeared on The Planner
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