London Stansted Airport (IATA: STN, ICAO: EGSS) is an international airport located at Stansted Mountfitchet in the district of Uttlesford in Essex, 42 mi (68 km) northeast of Central London. The airfield opened in 1943 and was used during the Second World War as RAF Stansted Mountfitchet by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces as a bomber airfield and as a major maintenance depot. Although the official name was Stansted Mountfitchet. Beginning in 1966, after Stansted was placed under BAA control, the airport was used by holiday charter operators wishing to escape the higher costs associated with operating from Heathrow and Gatwick.
Today, London Stansted serves 200 destinations across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Stansted is a base for a number of major European low-cost carriers, being the largest base for low-cost airline Ryanair, with over 130 destinations served by the airline. In 2015 it was the fourth busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. Stansted's runway is also used by private companies such as the Harrods Aviation, Titan Airways and XJet terminals which are private ground handlers who are able to handle private flights, charter flights and state visits. STN also has a transit inside which helps people to travel to their designated gates.
Originally owned and operated by BAA, since February 2013 the airport has been in the hands of Manchester Airports Group (MAG) following a March 2009 ruling by the Competition Commission.
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