STNEGSS

London Stansted Airport

London, Essex · United Kingdom · Europe/London

✈ Fly over STN in Google Earth
1Runways
10,003Longest (ft)
348Elevation (ft)
149Route Records
8Airline Records
UTC+0Timezone
53Mapped Stands
Community

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Traveler Guides

WiFi & ConnectivityeSIM, local SIM and airport WiFiLayover GuideHotels, tours and things to doGetting AroundTransfers, metro, taxi and busAirport LoungesPriority Pass, day passes, accessDining & DrinksRestaurants, cafés and quick bitesAircraft StandsGate & parking stand designatorsAccessibilityMobility, vision, hearing & PRM supportFlight Time EstimatorDistance, duration & timezone from STN

Current Conditions

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Route Intelligence

45Well Connected
Shortest route
AMSAmsterdam Airport Schiphol312.9 km
easyJet
Longest route
SSHSharm El Sheikh International Airport3,880.7 km
easyJet
Nearest international
AMSAmsterdam Airport Schiphol312.9 km
easyJet
Longest international
SSHSharm El Sheikh International Airport3,880.7 km
Transavia France
Longest domestic
LDYCity of Derry Airport602 km
Ryanair

Airport Connectivity Score

45/100

Well Connected

Destinations served149 destinations
Airline diversity8 airlines
Haul mix coverage2 of 4 distance categories

Calculated from destination count, airline diversity, and haul-mix coverage. More signals (customs/border access, ground handling capacity) will be added as the dataset grows.

Runways

04/2210,003 ftAsphaltLIT

Haul Mix

short-haul
100
medium-haul
49

Geographic Context

Nearest airport
CBGCambridge City Airport35.8 km
Nearest same country
CBGCambridge City Airport35.8 km
Nearest international
CQFCalais Marck Airport157.3 km
Farthest airport
CHTInia William Tuuta Memorial Airport19,084.5 km
Within 500 km: 110 airportsWithin 1,000 km: 289 airportsWithin 2,000 km: 597 airports

10 Nearest Airports

1CBGCambridge City Airport35.8 kmM
2LTNLondon Luton Airport41.4 kmL
3LCYLondon City Airport44 kmM
4SENLondon Southend Airport47.1 kmM
5MHZRAF Mildenhall55.7 kmM
6NHTRAF Northolt58.2 kmM
7LKZRAF Lakenheath62.4 kmM
8BEQRAF Honington62.8 kmM
9BQHLondon Biggin Hill Airport63.2 kmM
10LHRLondon Heathrow Airport66.5 kmL

ATC Frequencies7

APPStansted Radar120.625 MHz
ATISATIS127.175 MHz
CLDCLNC DEL121.95 MHz
DIRDIRECTOR136.2 MHz
GNDGND121.725 MHz
RDRDirector136.2 MHz
TWRTWR123.8 MHz

Top Aircraft Types

738
123
319
25
73H
13
320
13
AT7
2
DH4
1
D38
1

Live Departures & Arrivals56

Loading map…
RYR59DRB38M4,275 ft
T7TURTLE5509,150 ft
RYR393AB7382,375 ft
WZZ10WHA21N4,400 ft
THA916B77W8,625 ft
CFE779E1903,950 ft
CFE8495E1909,950 ft
BAW907A3196,375 ft
VJT453CL35100 ft
WMT6WWA21N8,600 ft

Source: adsb.lol — community ADS-B network. Approximate local traffic within 40nm, not a definitive schedule.

Aircraft Spotted Here

Boeing 737-8-200 MAX at London Stansted - EGSSPhoto: Marcello Galzignato via JetPhotosEmbraer EMB-545 Praetor 500 at Braunschweig - EDVEPhoto: Frank LCBS via JetPhotosBoeing 737-8AS at Turin - Caselle (Sandro Pertini) - LIMFPhoto: Frola Federico via JetPhotosAirbus A321-271NX at Aberdeen-Dyce - EGPDPhoto: Kyle McKinlay via JetPhotosBoeing 777-3ALER at Frankfurt Rhein-Main Int'l Airport - EDDFPhoto: Matteo P via JetPhotosEmbraer ERJ-190-100SR at London City Airport - EGLCPhoto: Iestyn Dallimore via JetPhotos

Photos © their respective photographers, via JetPhotos.com — click a photo to view the original.

Airline Records in Dataset8

ABAir Berlin
GRAurigny Air Services
BEFlybe
4UGermanwings
PCPegasus Airlines
FRRyanair
TOTransavia France
U2easyJet

Data Notes & Community Corrections

Community corrections will appear here once verified travellers start contributing.

Community page — traveler reviews →

Dining & Drinks

Coffee & Pastries
Fast & On-the-Go
Sit-Down Restaurants
Healthy & Warm Meals
Full dining guide ↗

External Links

Official Website ↗Wikipedia ↗
Data: OurAirports

Airport HistoryEst. 1991

London Stansted Airport began life as a USAAF bomber base opened in 1943 before being converted to civil aviation use in the late 1940s. It grew steadily as a charter hub, but its modern identity was defined by Norman Foster's award-winning 1991 terminal, whose column-free, naturally lit design with inverted-pyramid roof trusses became internationally influential in airport architecture. Long owned by the British Airports Authority (BAA), Stansted was sold to Manchester Airports Group in 2013 following a UK competition-law-driven breakup of BAA's London airport monopoly, and it has since grown into Europe's largest base for Ryanair.

✦Norman Foster's 1991 terminal was one of the first major airport buildings to place all mechanical and structural support beneath the floor, leaving an uncluttered, naturally lit departure hall — a design later echoed at airports worldwide.
✦Stansted began as a Second World War American bomber base before its post-war conversion to civilian use.
✦It is Europe's largest base for Ryanair, which serves over 150 destinations from the airport.
✦MAG has announced a £1.1 billion expansion program aiming to lift Stansted's capacity to 43 million passengers a year.
1943
Airfield opens as a USAAF base

The airfield opened in July 1943 as a United States Army Air Forces bomber base during the Second World War.

1966
British Airports Authority takes control

Ownership passed to the newly formed British Airports Authority (BAA), which would go on to manage Stansted alongside Heathrow and Gatwick for decades.

1991
Norman Foster's terminal opens

Foster Associates' new passenger terminal opened, featuring a distinctive column-free design with inverted-pyramid roof trusses; it won the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture in 1990 and reshaped modern airport design.

2006
BAA acquired by Ferrovial-led consortium

A Spanish-led consortium including Ferrovial acquired BAA, later prompting a UK Competition Commission review of its ownership of multiple London airports.

2013
Sold to Manchester Airports Group

Following a Competition Commission ruling forcing BAA to divest London airports, Manchester Airports Group (MAG) purchased Stansted for £1.5 billion.

2016
Record passenger year

Stansted handled a then-record 24.3 million passengers in 2016, cementing its role as London's main low-cost carrier hub.

2023
Post-pandemic recovery to 28 million passengers

Passenger numbers reached around 28 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels as Ryanair continued to expand its Stansted base to more than 150 destinations.

Operator
British Airports Authority (BAA)1966 – 2013Operated Stansted as part of its portfolio of UK airports; privatized in 1987 and later acquired by a Ferrovial-led consortium in 2006.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG)2013 – presentPurchased Stansted for £1.5 billion after BAA was forced to divest London airports on competition grounds.

Compiled from Wikipedia, Simple Flying, and Manchester Airports Group/Stansted press materials; passenger figures and expansion timelines reflect the most recently reported data and are subject to change as projects progress.