London’s Stansted Airport may yet have a case for a second runway to be built at its site to the north east of the capital following the publication of a new report this week.

The report by the London-Stansted-Cambridge Corridor (LSCC) Growth Commission outlines a 20-year vision for the area that would see it become one of the top ‘knowledge regions’ in the world.

It says Stansted will be an important driver of growth in the corridor, pointing out that the airport currently has the runway capacity to accommodate more passengers and should be supported to do so.

LSCC Growth Commission programme manager Glenn Athey added that, in the long term, the commission would support the need for a second runway at Stansted if there was a good economic and business case.

The airport had previously put forward a case for a new runway, but this was rejected by the Airports Commission in 2013.

Welcoming the new report, a spokesman for the airport said: “We expect there will be a time in the next 20-30 years that it will be possible and necessary to take forward plans for a new runway.”

Statistics released recently by the Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns Stansted, revealed that annual passenger numbers at the airport are currently growing faster than at any other airport in the UK.

However, the spokesman added: “In the short to medium term we are looking to grow the business here on a single runway, and are calling on Government to improve transport links to and from the airport to help us do that.”

MAG also called for a decision to be made as soon as possible on Sir Howard Davies’ recommendation to construct a third runway at Heathrow. However Government is not expected to make its decision until October at the earliest. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “It is vitally important we get the decision right. The Secretary of State and his ministerial team will want to consider all of the evidence before the Government takes a decision.”

MAG argues that the decision should be dictated by competitive market forces. Its chief executive Charlie Cornish added: “In the coming years, as this country continues to see an increase in air travel, Government must ensure that aviation policy makes best use of capacity at airports where it already exists, such as London Stansted and Manchester.”

(Photo: Stansted Airport)