Stansted....
Surely no major British airport has had a more difficult,
more traumatic existence than Stansted? Since the heady
days of post-war air freighting which established the
civilian airport, several attempts have been made to
minimise its use, or even close it entirely, but all such
attempts have been matched by an equal number of efforts
to expand its activity as a viable commercial enterprise. At
the time of writing, however, London Stansted Airport,
with its new terminal building, enlarged cargo facilities
and business aviation centre, seems set fair to grow within
prescribed limits over the next few years.Following its construction in 1942/43 by the US Army, Stansted airfield was used intensively by the US 9th Air Force for about two years before being taken over by the Royal Air Force as a storage and disposal depot. While the RAF was still using the premises, the first civilian airlines began to fly from Stansted, setting a precedent for others to follow. The 1950s and 1960s were decades of mixed fortunes for users of Stansted, who came and went according to the demands and the financial climate of the time. They were hindered by poor passenger-handling arrangements at Stansted, which were not modernised until 1969. From that point matters gradually improved, although even then there were set-backs. It was not until Stansted was designated as London's third airport in 1985 and the decision was made that a new terminal would be built that passenger business really began to increase. Since the opening of the new facilities in 1991, passenger figures have shown a remarkable increase, and several airlines are operating scheduled services within the United Kingdom and to European destinations from Stansted. Much time and money has been spent on ensuring that, as far as possible, environmental considerations are handled properly, and the result is an airport fit for further expansion into the 21st century. 144 pages, hardback, Royal Quatro ISBN 1-870384-56-3 First Published 1997 by GMS Enterprises Click here to visit GMS Enterprises Website GMS Enterprises, 67 Pyhill, Bretton, Peterborough, PE3 8QQ, ENGLAND, UK 
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