Ryanair backs refusal of Stansted expansion plan

Plans to build a second runway at Stansted Airport have been rejected, a move welcomed by Ryanair.

Planning officers at Uttlesford District Council have said that the airport’s plans should be refused and despite the low-cost airline's position as Stansted’s largest operator, it has backed the decision.

The report now goes in front of local councillors on Wednesday (November 29) and the airline is pressing for the plans, laid out by Stansted’s owners BAA, to be rejected at the public meeting.

Ryanair spokesperson Peter Sherrard, stressing the airline’s belief that BAA enjoys a monopoly position, said: “The current expansion plans of the BAA Stansted monopoly do not have the support of either the local community or the main airport users at Stansted.

“Ryanair supports the sensible expansion of BAA Stansted. We not only support, but have offered to pay, for a second runway and a second terminal at Stansted but these offers have been rejected by the BAA monopoly.”

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has been a long-standing critic of BAA’s plan to expand at Stansted and he said during the summer that he would “build another runway with a fifth of the land, costing £1 billion rather than £4 billion”.

Stansted is the third-busiest airport in the UK and currently serves more than 22 million passengers per year, but should the second runway get the go ahead, it expects to be handling 76 million passengers per year by 2030.

© Cheapflights Ltd Craig McGinty

Comments

[Nora Price]

This report contains several factual errors.

1. The planning application currently being considered by Uttlesford District Council is for an increase in passenger numbers at Stansted - NOT a second runway, as reported.

2. The decision will be made tomorrow (29 November 2006) at a meeting of the Development Control Committee (DCC).

3. Last week the Council's planning officers recommended that the DCC turn down the application, citing nine reasons for this. This was not the final decision, which rests with the DCC.

[Craig McGinty]

Dear Nora Price

Many thanks for your comment and you are correct that I have made an error in stating that the plans were for a second runway, that plan comes up in the new year.

The planning application was, as you say, to allow Stansted to accept more passengers.

As for the other points, I wrote that local councillors, who make up the Development Control Committee, would meet on Wednesday (Nov. 29) and I do say that it was the council's planning officers that refused the plans.

I hope this helps.

Kind regards

Craig McGinty