Stansted Airport History

AD 100-200 - Roman burial site.
1942 - The runway was built by USAAF.
1944 - D-Day, Bombers from Stansted led more than 600 aircraft over the beaches of France.
1966 - Newly created British Airports Authority took control.
1970 - The new terminal was extended to handle increasing numbers of passengers.
1978 - The Government White Paper "Airport Policy" proposed major expansion of Stansted.
1980 - British Airport Authority submitted planning application to Uttlesford District Council to develop the airport.
1985 - Following a public enquiry lasting 258 days, the government gives permission for development to about 15 million passengers a year. An early motion by 75 MPs led to a compromise of phased development to 8 and then 15 million passengers with a cap on the number of take-offs and landings by passenger aircraft.
April 1986 - work started on the new airport.
March 1991 - The Queen opened the £400 million new terminal, aprons and taxiways at Stansted, increasing the airport's capacity from two million passengers a year to eight million.
June 1999 - permission was granted to go to phase two.
July 1999 - parliament raises Passenger Air Transport Movement (PATM) cap to 185,000 a year.
January 2000 - work on phase two commences and public consultation begins on expansion to about 25mppa.
July 2002 - Government's South East and East of England Regional Air Services study includes Stansted in the future of aviation in the south east over the next 30 years.
September 2002 - planning permission granted by Uttlesford District council to expand to 25 million passengers a year.
January 2003 - Stansted agreed £30 million package of community benefits and environmental safeguards.