The Essex airport is the third largest UK airport for freight. Stansted now moves more than 200,000 metric tonnes of freight a year. Passenger numbers have also expanded rapidly.
The turning point for the airport came in 1991 when the Queen opened a new terminal there. Before, Stansted had been growing only slowly, after beginning life as a second world war airfield in 1942.
Around 30 airlines now use Stansted and passenger numbers have increased by about 40% in the last three years. The airport received a big boost from the decision by British Airways to base its low-cost operation, Go, there last year. Stansted's largest scheduled airline is Irish carrier Ryanair, while other prominent carriers are KLM uk and German carrier Lufthansa.
Over the last 20 years Stansted has featured in hijack dramas. When planes have been taken over by terrorists and crews have been ordered to land in the UK, it has become routine for Stansted to be designated as the destination for the hijacked aircraft, because planes have been able to land there and be kept well away from the terminal building and other aircraft while negotiations are carried on with the hijackers.
