STANSTED AIRPORT: Passenger numbers fall again

11:03am Thursday 12th June 2008

A FALL in the number of passengers using Stansted Airport last month has fueled campaigners opposition to a proposed second runway.

While Heathrow (up 0.6 per cent) and Gatwick (up 1.1 per cent) saw slight increases, passenger numbers at Stansted fell by 3.3 per cent.

BAA's UK airports handled a total 12.7 million passengers in May, a drop of 0.5 per cent on the same month last year.

In total BAA's airports handled 1.1% fewer air transport movements in May but a 3.3 per cent increase in cargo tonnage, with Heathrow up by 11 per cent, in line with growth seen since the beginning of the year.

Anti-expansion group Stop Stansted Expansion says the "continued downward slide" in the number of passengers using Stansted Airport adds weight to its call that a second runway is unnecessary.

It says Stansted's passenger numbers have reduced by 4.4 per cent in the January to May period - the seventh month in a row that the Essex airport has posted a decline - now running at an average of 23,000 fewer passengers a week.

By contrast, Gatwick, continues to show steady growth year on year, despite the economic downturn, SEE says.

In the past six months Stansted has lost all three of its transatlantic routes and now has no long-haul services.

Stop Stansted Expansion campaign director Carol Barbone said: "It seems that Stansted's management are so focused on pie in the sky expansion plans that they've taken their eye off the ball and are losing passengers in droves.

"They would do well to end their obsession with building a white elephant runway that nobody wants."

A spokesman for BAA Stansted said: "There is a global economic slowdown affecting different markets in different ways. We are not worried and we have forecast a downturn in passenger numbers and would expect Stop Stansted Expansion to campaign in this way.

"The economy is expected to grow in the medium and longer term and demand for air travel will grow with that."

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