Stansted Airport announces new £130m arrivals terminal

A new £130m arrivals terminal is to be built at London Stansted Airport.

The 34,000 sq m (365,972 sq ft), three-level building has been designed by architects Pascall+Watson and will be built next to the current terminal.

The site will include larger immigration and baggage reclaim areas, Stansted's owner Manchester Airports Group (MAG) said in a statement.

Work is expected to take up to three years to complete, and will begin in late 2018.

The departures building will be reconfigured to provide more space at check-in and in security.

The increased size of the immigration area in the arrivals terminal was "purely down to the size of the building" rather than as a result of possible future changes to the immigration procedure, an airport spokesman said.

The new building was granted planning permission by Uttlesford District Council.

The airport's Chief Executive Andrew Cowan said the site would "transform our infrastructure and facilities to give our passengers the best possible experience".

The new building will take three years to construct

"Stansted is a national asset and our investment will continue to boost competition and support economic growth, jobs and international connectivity for London and the East of England," he said.

"At a time when airport capacity in the country is at a premium, Stansted is playing a vital role in supporting both the regional and national economy. This project will strengthen our ability to do this by enabling us to make the most efficient use of our single runway."

Construction of the new building will take place away from the existing terminal to minimise disruption to passengers, MAG said.

Once the site is complete, Stansted will be the only airport in the UK operating dedicated arrivals and departures terminals.