Editing London Stansted Airport (section)

=== Under MAG ownership (2013–) ===
In January 2013 it was announced that [[Manchester Airport Holdings|MAG (Manchester Airports Group)]] had agreed to purchase London Stansted Airport for £1.5 billion.<ref name="Sale">{{Cite news |date=18 January 2013 |title=Stansted Airport being sold to Manchester for £1.5bn |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21093783 |accessdate=18 January 2013 |newspaper=BBC News}}</ref> The sale was completed on 28 February 2013.<ref name="Holland">{{cite news |author=Sinead Holland |date=28 February 2013 |title=£1.5 billion Stansted Airport sale complete |url=http://www.harlowstar.co.uk/News/Harlow-news/15-billion-Stansted-Airport-sale-complete-20130228174702.htm |accessdate=1 March 2013 |newspaper=Harlow Star}}</ref>

MAG announced on 20 June 2013 as part of a visit to the airport by the Secretary of State for Transport that it would be launching an £80&nbsp;million terminal redevelopment programme. MAG has invested £40&nbsp;million and the remainder was invested by other commercial partners. The redevelopment included relocation of the security area, doubling the amount of seating, and improving the information displays. The new Departure Lounge offers a food court, new shops, and an Escape Lounge.

In 2017, [[Antonov Airlines]] opened a UK office at Stansted for cargo charter flights, generally of outsize loads.<ref name=aircargonews-20170220>{{cite news |url=http://www.aircargonews.net/news/airlines/single-view/news/uk-office-handles-antonov-airlines-charter.html |title=UK office handles Antonov Airlines charter |newspaper=aircargonews |date=20 February 2017 |access-date=26 February 2017 |archive-date=27 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227062322/http://www.aircargonews.net/news/airlines/single-view/news/uk-office-handles-antonov-airlines-charter.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== COVID-19 pandemic and recovery ====
The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] had a severe impact on London Stansted Airport, leading to a significant reduction in passenger numbers and operational challenges. In 2020, the airport served just over 7.5 million passengers, a large decline from its pre-pandemic levels of around 28 million annually.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2021-03-15 |title=Stansted Airport anniversary overshadowed by 'crisis like no other' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-56385982 |access-date=2024-10-16 |language=en-GB}}</ref> At the height of the crisis, Stansted experienced a 95% drop in passenger footfall compared to 2019.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2021-04-21 |title=Coronavirus one year on: Stansted suffers 95 drop in passengers |url=https://www.saffronwaldenreporter.co.uk/news/21875763.coronavirus-one-year-stansted-suffers-95-drop-passengers/ |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=Saffron Walden Reporter |language=en}}</ref> [[Cargo aircraft|Cargo operations]], however, saw a 53% increase as the airport adapted to new demands.<ref name=":1" /> Airport authorities described the situation as an unprecedented crisis, likening the passenger levels to those seen in the early 1990s.<ref name=":0" />

As travel restrictions began to ease in July 2021, London Stansted Airport experienced widespread disruption as passenger numbers surged during the summer holidays. The airport faced staff shortages and increased COVID-19 documentation requirements, leading to long queues and chaotic scenes, with insufficient personnel available to manage the crowds effectively.<ref>{{Cite web |title=COVID-19: 'Total chaos' at UK airports on busiest weekend this year - with COVID checks and lack of staff blamed |url=https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-total-chaos-at-uk-airports-on-busiest-weekend-this-year-with-covid-checks-and-lack-of-staff-blamed-12363202 |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref> The airport showed signs of recovery by late 2022, with passenger levels nearing 97% of pre-pandemic volumes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-19 |title=New Ryanair routes drive record recovery at Stansted Airport |url=https://www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/news/new-ryanair-routes-drive-recovery-at-stansted-airport-9290146/ |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=Bishop's Stortford Independent |language=en}}</ref>

In the wake of this recovery, in 2023 Stansted Airport announced a £1.1 billion expansion plan including a £600m extension of the terminal and facilities,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=London Stansted Airport Eyeing 2025 Start On Terminal Extension Construction {{!}} Aviation Week Network |url=https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/london-stansted-airport-eyeing-2025-start-terminal-extension |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=aviationweek.com}}</ref> to increase its capacity to serve up to 43 million passengers per year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Henderson |first=Alice |date=15 Oct 2024 |title=Stansted airport outlines £1.1 billion investment plan over five years |url=https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2024/10/15/stansted-airport-outlines-1-1-billion-investment-plan-over-five-years/ |website=Business Traveller}}</ref> This expansion is expected to add 200 flights per day to the airport's schedule and create over 5,000 jobs over the next five years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Guy |date=2024-10-14 |title=Stansted Airport to add 5,000 jobs as part of £1.1bn expansion plan |url=https://www.cityam.com/stansted-airport-to-add-5000-jobs-as-part-of-1-1bn-expansion-plan/ |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=CityAM |language=en-GB}}</ref>