A new £1.5m double airbridge has opened at London Stansted Airport, boosting the facility’s ability to handle long-haul aircraft.
The new bridge, the first of its kind at Stansted, joins 11 single-door airbridges currently in operation at the airport and has the advantage of providing two main-deck entry points for wide-body aircraft like Boeing 777s. It can also be used to access the upper deck of Airbus A380s.
The new facility will not only improve the experience and comfort for passengers, but it will also make aircraft turnaround times more efficient for airlines, according to Stansted.
First to use the bridge was Emirates, which resumed daily long-haul flights from London Stansted to Dubai with its Boeing 777-300ER on August 1.
Stansted operations director Nick Millar said: "This investment marks a significant milestone in our recovery and is part of an ongoing programme of upgrades we're making at the airport to enhance the customer experience. The brand-new airbridge will allow passengers travelling on wide-body aircraft like Emirates’ Boeing 777 to board and disembark more quickly and comfortably using two doors instead of one.
“We already have the capacity to handle all types of aircraft, but the new bridge will enhance our long-haul handling capabilities, future-proof our airfield infrastructure and improve performance for our passengers and airlines.”
The project, which took three months to complete, included the installation of new fuel hydrants, underground cabling, and modifications to the existing aircraft parking stand facilities.
During the summer, passenger numbers at Stansted reached 90% of pre-pandemic levels. The airport welcomed 2.6 million passengers in August 2022, its busiest month since 2019.
Image: London Stansted Airport
