Stansted Airport to increase passenger numbers but no new runway

A decision not to build a second runway at Stansted Airport was welcomed by local people

The man charged with finding a solution to the problem of airport capacity in the South East says he expects "significant expansion" at Stansted over the next 10 years but he says there's no demand to build another runway there.

Announcing Heathrow as his preferred choice for a new runway, Sir Howard Davies said: "At the moment Stansted is only carrying 20m passengers where it could take 35m, so the market is telling you that's not currently a preferred solution."

All airports around London, especially Essex's Stansted Airport, and to a lesser degree Luton and Southend, will get much busier, he added.

"Our modelling shows that in the period before the new runway comes into operation, which won't be for at least for another decade, there will have to be significant expansion at the airports which have got the capacity to expand at the moment, principally Stansted. It will be important that other airports around London take the strain."

Stansted Airport plans to expand by attracting more operators to provide services to more destinations

Sir Howard's report accepts that another runway as well as the new one at Heathrow, may be needed in the UK by 2050 but to the surprise of many observers, he refuses to name a candidate.

"A wide range of options should be considered, for example, Stansted and Gatwick, and airports outside London and the South East, such as Birmingham and Manchester," he said in his report.

No New Runway

His report has been welcomed by MPs around Stansted, who are now convinced that after years of uncertainty, the idea of a second runway is now definitely off the table.

Sir Howard notes that the airport has begun an £80m terminal redevelopment. It is also trying to grow its mix of airlines and attract long-haul routes and he notes Stansted's strategic importance to the wider London airport system.

He clearly believes the airport has an important role to play, but not one big enough to warrant another runway.

He was very complimentary about the proposal for a new runway at Gatwick, which he ended up rejecting. Sir Howard said it was "do-able" and would bring economic benefits but this must surely mean that the airport is now in pole position when discussions begin about another runway.

It is also interesting that his report notes that there may be a case for reviewing the planning cap that currently limits Stansted to 35m air movements a year. It states that "the commission does not have any view as to the outcome of any such review".

Back to the drawing board

Sir Howard also welcomes the recent decision to allow Luton to expand, and the recent success of Southend.

The campaign to prevent further expansion by building a second runway at Stansted has continued for more than a decade

The problems of poor rail links to all our airports also came in for criticism and the report calls for improvements. He seems to suggest this could be holding airports back from realising their full potential.

So the conclusion for the east seems to be - no new runways but busier airports. It is news which will come as a relief to those living near our airports but the anticipated increase in traffic will also give rise to concern from environmental groups.

They will worry about noise and pollution levels and will fight any attempt by the airports to increase flights. The region's business community will be broadly happy with the report, in particular the appeal for better rail links.

But just one word of warning. The recommendation to build at Heathrow is just that - a recommendation.

The government will have to make the final decision, expected in the autumn and there are a host of political problems surrounding that decision. If ministers reject Sir Howard's report, everything will be back in the melting pot again.