Guide to Stansted Airport

Fun at Stansted Airport

Stansted airport, located north of London close to Bishops Stortford on the M11, is one of the worlds fastest growing airports. The airport started life in 1942 when it was established as a wartime United States Army Air Force base. It was the 817th US Aviation Engineering Battalion who were responsible for building the huge air base which, today, is Stansted airport.

In 2007 the airport serviced a staggering total of 208,462 flights and over 23 million passengers passed through the airport. Of these passengers around 39% use public transport to travel to and from the airport.

Since the UK government's 1970 decision to make Stansted London's third major airport the airport has grown at a rapid pace. There is now a dedicated rail link, the Stansted Express, which runs from London's Liverpool Street station directly to the airport. This excellent service provides trains every 15 minutes to and from the heart of the city of London.

However the cheapest way to get in and out of London from Stansted is using the Easy Bus service provided by Easy Jet who are based at Stansted. Like many travel services, book and buy your bus tickets in advance and you will get some major savings.

The same advice applies if you are planning to drive to the airport and use the excellent Stansted airport parking facilities. Book in advance and you can save up to 60% on your airport parking space.

In recent years Stansted airport has undergone a major multi-million pound refurbishment and you will now find all the main high street shops have outlets in the airport. If you need to stay overnight there are some truly excellent airport hotels, but again it is recommended that you book in advance.

The high price of fuel prompted EasyJet, based at Stansted airport, to cut the number of flights they are currently providing from the airport. They have said that flexibility is the key in the current climate so they are continuing to review their schedule and may make further adjustments to eliminate unprofitable flying and to seize opportunities.