Information on London Stansted Airport




London Stansted Airport is located at Stansted Mountfitchet in the District of Uttlesford and in the County of Essex in the United Kingdom standing just off the M11 motorway 30 miles north-east of the City of London. The towns of Bishop Stortford (2.9 miles) and Harlow (6 miles) are close by.

The airport is the third busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third largest serving the London area, after London Heathrow and London Gatwick Airports, it is also a hub for a number of major European low-cost carriers.
Stansted is owned by BAA who also own, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London City and London Luton.



Although there is only one main passenger terminal at the airport, there are three passenger satellite buildings where the departure gates are situated, two are connected to the main terminal by an air-bridge the other by the Stansted Airport Transit System which is an automated system.



The Stansted Airport Transit System features five Adtranz C-100 and four Bombardier CX-100 driverless cars running on a 2 mile section of elevated and tunnelled track.

London Stansted Airport also has a private aircraft terminal and cargo station.

Stansted Mountfitchet Airfield as it used to be known became the home of USAAF Eighth Air Force in August 1942, their bomber and major maintenance depot with the Station Code 169. In October of the same year the station was selected to be an advanced air depot for the 9th Air Force Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers. The construction at the airfield was carried out by the United States Army Engineering Battalions Nos 817th, 825th and 850th and duly completed by mid 1973.

The airfield officially opened on 7th August 1943 with the arrival of the 30th Air Depot Group and then transferred on 16th October to the Ninth Air Force.
On 8th February 1944 the 344th Bombardment Group moved with their twin-engine B26 Marauder aircraft from their home at the Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia to Stansted where they were to fly over 100 missions to German-occupied France, Belgium and the Netherlands targeting, missile sites, railway marshalling yards and coastal defences.

The Americans left Stansted on 12th August 1945 and the airfield transferred to the Air Ministry and was then used by the RAF Maintenance Group No 263.

German POWs were housed at Stansted Airfield between march 1946 and August 1947, then in 1949 the Ministry of Civil Aviation took control until 1954 when the US military returned to extend the runway for NATO, however NATO never went ahead and the airport reverted back to civil use in 1957, BAA taking control in 1966.

The Fire Service Training School (FSTS) set up its base on the Eastern side of the Airfield for the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation during the 60s, 70s and early 80s and was responsible to the training of all Aviation Fire Crews based at UK and Overseas Airports.

With BAA at the controls from 1966 the airport was used by holiday charter operators and in 1969 Stansteds first terminal building opened then in March 1991 the present terminal designed by Sir Norman Foster opened.

Below the terminal building is Stansted Airport Railway Station serving Cambridge, Leicester and the Midlands with a service by CrossCountry who operate trains every 60 minutes The station is also served by the Stansted Express train into London Liverpool Street every 15 minutes.
An hourly service also operates Monday to Saturday to Harlow and London Startford International and calling at most stations.

By Taxi

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Please remember to confirm all your flight details before leaving for the airport and to insure you have all your documentation for your trip. Taxi Transfers 4U wish you a pleasant journey and hope to see you in the future.