A MAJOR UK airport has revealed plans to increase its passenger numbers by more than 20million in the next 16 years.

Earlier this week, Stansted Airport published its long-term plan for sustainable growth over the next two decades.

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The London airport welcomed 29.3million passengers in the year to September 2024 and hopes to increase this number by 20million in the next 16 years.

In its Sustainable Development Plan, Stansted Airport believes it could handle as many as 51million passengers annually in the 2040s.

As reported by Travel Weekly, the airport plans to welcome higher passenger numbers without increasing the existing number of permitted flights.

At present, Stansted Airport also has no plans to build any further runways.

Instead, passenger numbers are set to increase with airlines using larger models of aircraft, which will fit more holidaymakers.

An airport spokesperson said: “This will enable more people to fly on each plane, and the airport to welcome more passengers while keeping permitted levels of aircraft arrivals and departures the same.”

The news comes after London Stansted Airport confirmed its £1.1billion renovation plans earlier this year.

Another £500million will be put into improving the current terminal and the rest of the airport.

Other parts of the airport, including its security hall, gate rooms and taxiway will also be renovated under the expansion plans.

The improvements will expand the terminal by a third, meaning more space for both passengers and airlines.

Construction work will start on the renovation next year, with the project expected to take between two and three years to complete.

Ken O’Toole, Chief Executive Officer of MAG – which owns London Stansted, Manchester and East Midlands Airports, said: “By investing more than £1 billion in Stansted over the next 5 years, we will be able to connect people and businesses in London and the east of England to even more global destinations, while welcoming millions more visitors to the UK.”

Gareth Powell, Stansted’s managing director, added: “We aim to add even more choice of airlines to continue growing our extensive route network.

“We are already welcoming a record number of passengers, with people drawn to the fact we give them a great choice of destinations, at excellent value and with fantastic access into central London and the whole of the East of England.”

The airport also wants half of all trips to the airport to be made using public transport.

Travellers arriving at the airport by train will soon be able to pay by Oyster Card, Apple Pay or bank card.

Currently, people heading to the airport have to buy a ticket and cannot rely on tapping in and out with contactless payments, as they do throughout the rest of the capital.

However, that will change from the second half of next year, the Department for Transport has announced.

The change to the system will bring a welcome relief to passengers, as thousands have been fined after they didn’t realise the rules.

Manchester Airport is also working on its £1.3billion transformation with larger terminals and new restaurants.

Meanwhile, this new £4.7bn airport will be the biggest in its continent when it’s built.

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