These days, Stansted airport is an incredibly busy airport, Britains third busiest in fact and sports a huge array of additions since its opening back in 1943.

During the Second World War, airports or to be more precise, runways were at a premium. Britain needed every last bit of long tarmac it could get, not only to launch offensives in Europe but to help train the many new recruits flooding in to help the war effort. It also needed maintenance depots and that’s where RAF Stansted Mountifchet (as it was known originally) became an important and strategical part of Britain’s air defence.

After opening, the airfield became a base for both British and American aircraft, housing the USAAF Eight air Force as a heavy bomber airfield, but it doubled up as a maintenance and supply depot, helping rebuild broken and damaged planes that had returned from action. Once victory was secure in Europe howeber, Stansted (as it was always known) saw these operations moved to France, but it carried on as a supply stage.

Stansted looked a lot different back then, obviously without a terminal building, airport parking facilities or the impressive Stansted airport hotels on the modern era and it would be some time before it came close to resembling what it has become today. Just after the war, it was used to house German prisoners of war and even though the Americans left in 1945, they were back again in 1954.

By 1966, the first charter planes were flying passengers to holiday destinations from the airport thanks to the new owners BAA but it was clear the government saw greater potential than simply avoiding the growing delays at Gatwick and Heathrow. By 1969, the first terminal building was completed and underwent further expansion just a year later.

The expansions would continue through the 80′s and 90′s leading to more than 15 million passengers going through the airport a year. By 1988 it needed a new terminal building, which was finished in 1991 and still stands today along with other buildings that have sprung up around the area including the Stansted Hotels, car parks, restaurants and the close by train service.

As well as being a busy airport, Stansted has also featured the rich and famous with films, tv shows and adverts all being filmed at the airport including Flight 93 and Last Chance Harvey.

 

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